“I think there is a strategic recognition on China’s part that this is a period of chaos when it comes to information,” said David Bandurski, director of the China Media Project at the University of Hong Kong. “Messages like these are meant as a demonstration of power: ‘We are telling you that she is fine, and who are you to say otherwise?’” she added.Īnother possibility: China may simply be trying to capture attention with its more aggressive media approach, especially amid a tumultuous and polarized global information environment. That’s partially true, but there’s more at play here because this tweet would also not convince a single Chinese person that Peng Shuai is fine,” Olhberg said.
“A lot has been made about the inability of Chinese propaganda organs to adapt to foreign audiences, how they hit the wrong tone, etc. In her view, the intent was not to persuade but to intimidate. “Nobody will read this & think, ‘Oh good, Peng Shuai is ok! I’m so relieved,” Olhberg tweeted. If the goal of the Chinese state media posts was to convince, the effort was clearly a failure, according to Mareike Ohlberg, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund Asia. Left unanswered was the question of why China’s state-controlled media kept getting such scoops and why Peng herself hadn’t appeared to speak freely about her situation.
The Global Times, a nationalist tabloid, then posted a video of Peng eating at a restaurant with several others, who engaged in a seemingly unnatural conversation about what day it was. CGTN, an official Chinese broadcaster, quickly produced an email from Peng, which many observers said resembled a hostage note. To help alleviate the concerns, Chinese state media sprang into action. Then Peng herself went silent, raising global fears about her safety and freedom. Not only did Peng’s post quickly disappear, so did any mention of it on China’s internet. The 35-year-old Peng, one of the world’s top tennis players, earlier this month wrote a social media post accusing former vice premier Zhang Gaoli, 75, of sexual assault.
The most recent example of that is the situation surrounding professional Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai. Unlike North Korean state media, which are mostly tucked away on the fringes of the internet, Chinese state media attempt to cultivate large followings on Western social media sites.Ĭhinese state media’s efforts to defend Beijing in front of a global audience often appear to fall flat. While Chinese state media may not be ready to match the eccentric vocabulary and trademark insults employed by their North Korean counterparts, the Beijing version in some ways appears even more out of place in the modern information sphere. “Xi is quickly catching up with the Kim dynasty in North Korea,” Hu told VOA. To Hu and a growing number of other observers, Chinese state media are now starting to resemble the propaganda outlets of another authoritarian government. “One of the most notable developments in China’s state media in recent years is … the creation of a personality cult surrounding Xi,” said Hu Ping, an exiled New York-based former editor of Beijing Spring, a pro-democracy academic journal. In recent years, Chinese state media have increasingly abandoned even the pretense of journalism as they attack critics and foes of Beijing and elevate the status of Xi, who stands to become the country’s most powerful leader since founder Mao Zedong. Many Twitter users mockingly replaced the picture of Xi with their own pictures, insisting they too should be lauded for their “determination and action.”
But to many observers, the latest profile was especially obsequious.Ī Xinhua tweet linking to the piece quickly created a stir online. China’s government-controlled media have long posted flattering portrayals of Communist Party leaders or policies, especially during sensitive political moments. The profile, which went on like that for over 5,000 words, was posted on the front pages of the English and Chinese websites of the country’s vast state-run media apparatus. “A man of profound thoughts and feelings, a man who inherited a legacy but dares to innovate, a man who has forward-looking vision and is committed to working tirelessly.” “This is a man of determination and action,” proclaimed the piece. Earlier this month, China’s state-run Xinhua news agency posted a glowing profile of Xi Jinping, the country’s top leader, who is laying the groundwork to indefinitely extend his rule.