Beijing Accused Of Enlisting Social Media Influencers From Xinjiang To Deny Abuses

The Chinese Communist party is using social media influencers from troubled regions such as Xinjiang, Tibet and Inner Mongolia to whitewash human rights abuses through a sophisticated propaganda campaign, a report has claimed.

- Helen Davidson

The report published yesterday by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) thinktank, described the videos by "frontier influencers" as a growing part of Beijing's "propaganda arsenal".

Under Xi Jinping, the CCP's oppression of ethnic minorities has worsened, with major crackdowns in Xinjiang, Tibet and Inner Mongolia. Condemnation has mounted, with a recent UN report finding there was a likelihood China was committing crimes against humanity in Xinjiang.

The Chinese government denies claims it has detained an estimated 1 million people in re-education camps and suppressed religious and cultural activities there, saying its policies are to counter extremism and alleviate poverty.

Its traditional propaganda is often unconvincing, but in recent years the government has harnessed social media influencers under orders from Xi to "tell China's story well", according to analysts. Yesterday's report examined what it suggested was a further evolution, using individuals from the victimised communities.

"[The influencers'] less polished presentation has a more authentic feel that conveys a false sense of legitimacy and transparency about China's frontier regions that partystate media struggle to achieve," the thinktank's report said.

It examined about 1,700 videos created by 18 YouTube accounts, each with between 2,000 and 200,000 followers, over the past few years. It said the videos were mostly hosted by young women from ethnic minority communities, sharing mostly positive lifestyle content and presenting Xinjiang and other regions as happy and stable. Some videos explicitly attack western critics, including one showing the influencer speaking at a foreign press conference organised by the CCP.