Current Events I

As China’s role in the global economy grows larger and larger, their market expansionism has been met with growing tension. In many parts of Africa, people are starting to worry about the true intentions of the Chinese businessmen eyeing Africa’s natural resources. While it can be argued that the vast majority of Chinese businessmen in Africa are simply attempting to capitalize on a continent with a plethora of natural resources and do not actually have malicious intentions, what really matters in this scenario is not the truth, it’s the message being sent out to the African populace interacting with these Chinese business tycoons. To guarantee the safety and prosperity of these Chinese businessmen, the CCP has embarked on an international propaganda campaign, the likes of which have never before been seen.

Their scope, however, isn’t limited to fledgling countries in Africa. They’ve begun opening news stations in Europe and the U.S, with the aim of telling ‘the Chinese Story’. These news stations, funded generously by the CCP, are now seeking to hire journalists and media specialists to play leading roles in telling ‘the Chinese Story’. “For western journalists, demoralized by endless budget cuts, China Global Television Network presents an enticing prospect, offering competitive salaries to work in state-of-the-art purpose-built studios in Chiswick, west London. CGTN – as the international arm of China Central Television (CCTV) was rebranded in 2016 – is the most high-profile component of China’s rapid media expansion across the world, whose goal, in the words of President Xi Jinping, is to “tell China’s story well”” (Lim & Bergin, 2019).

Their methods are subtle, yet effective. One propaganda video documented American workers at a Chinese owned factory in the U.S, talking about how much they enjoyed having a Chinese boss. Its clear that rather than try to evoke emotion through fear like twentieth century wartime propaganda, they’re instead attempting to put a positive spin on anything china related. The carrot rather than the stick. 

Video mentioned in blogpost:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob-_4r8WrRU&ab_channel=NewChinaTV

Sources used: Lim, L., & Bergin, J. (2019, February 12). Inside China’s audacious global propaganda campaign. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/dec/07/china-plan-for-global-media-dominance-propaganda-xi-jinping