Chinese propaganda is surprisingly effective abroad
A new study shows how and where China’s message resonates
“Experts laud merits of China’s democracy,” read a headline in one of China’s state-owned newspapers last year. “War-addicted West must stop dreaming of global domination by force,” went another. The propaganda churned out by the Communist Party isn’t very subtle—or accurate (China does not hold many elections and it tacitly backs Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine). But when directed at foreigners, China’s messaging is surprisingly effective, suggests a new study by political scientists at Harvard, Yale and the University of Groningen (in the Netherlands).
This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “America bad, China good”
From the February 18th 2023 edition
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