“In Other News”: China’s International Media Strategy on Xinjiang—CGTN and New China TV on YouTube

Abstract

In the Western world China stands accused of severe human rights violations regarding its treatment of the Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities in its northwestern Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. This is the first article to systematically analyze the response of China’s international state media to these allegations. By studying the YouTube channels of two leading Chinese state media, China Global Television Network (CGTN) and New China TV (operated by Xinhua News Agency), it presents an in-depth understanding of how China’s foreign-facing propaganda works in a crucial case. The quantitative content analysis highlights how China reacted to increasing international (mostly United States) pressure regarding its Xinjiang policies by producing higher volumes of videos and putting out new counternarratives. The qualitative analysis that follows provides in-depth treatment of the most important discourses that Chinese media engage in to salvage the nation’s international image, namely those on development, culture, nature, and terrorism. It finds several ways of countering criticism, ranging from presenting a positive image of China, in line with traditional propaganda guidelines and President Xi Jinping’s assignment to state media to “tell the China story well,” to more innovative approaches. Thus the development narrative becomes more personalized, the discourse on culture supports the “heritagization process” to incorporate minority cultures into a harmonized “Chinese civilization,” representations of nature firmly tie Xinjiang into the discourse of “beautiful China,” the “terror narrative” strategically employs shocking footage in an attempt to gain international “discourse power,” etc. The article provides an up-to-date picture of China’s state media strategy on a highly contentious international issue.

Strategi Media Internasional China Dalam Menyikapi Media Propaganda Barat Mengenai Etnis Uighur Di Xinjiang

“…Laporan media China tentang insiden teroris juga meningkat secara signifikan dan sebagian besar insiden teroris tersebut terjadi di Xinjiang, kota-kota besar Beijing, Kunming, dan Guangzhou. Sehubungan dengan itu, China meningkatkan keamanan untuk mencegah terjadinya serangan-serangan selanjutnya (Alpermann & Malzer, 2023). Upaya kontra terorisme China kemudian difokuskan pada wilayah Xinjiang yang rentan terhadap serangan teroris serta wilayah yang berbatasan langsung dengan negara-negara yang berpotensi tinggi dengan terorisme.…”

“…Tentu saja, pemerintah China tidak tinggal diam terhadap pemberitaan oleh media Barat yang dianggap mencoreng citra negaranya tersebut. Oleh karena itu, China melakukan strategi propaganda berupa kampanye disinformasi melalui media-media internasionalnya seperti Global Times, China Global Television Network (CGTN), China Central Television (CCTV) dan juga China Daily sebagai bentuk perlawanan terhadap monopoli media internasional (media Barat) (Alpermann & Malzer, 2023).…”

Personalized Propaganda: The Politics and Economy of Young, Pro-government Minority Vloggers from the XUAR

“…The narratives they present as their personal views align suspiciously well with those of the CCP. Such 'personalized propaganda,' as we choose to call this phenomenon, is but one element in a broad 'united front'-type media offensive by the Chinese authorities, which started in 2018 (see Alpermann 2020;Byler 2019;Moghazy 2021) to shape the representation of Xinjiang in China and the world in reaction to negative publicity and attention resulting from excessive violence by the Chinese state, including the mass incarceration and torture of minority people in the region since 2017. While Anniguli's camera is placed in a seemingly careless way on the table in front of her, on closer inspection, the picture looks thoughtfully designed.…”

“…It aimed to dispute negative reports about the camps, securitization, and surveillance. Instead, it argued that the Party had led the region to peace, harmony, prosperity, and happiness (Alpermann 2020). In summer 2019, then governor of the XUAR, Shöhret Zakir, 3 proclaimed that all "students" of what he called the vocational training centers and voluntary de-radicalization programs had successfully graduated.…”

“…The English-language arm of China's public television channel, CGTN, has devoted many hours of its programming to discussing economic development, ethnic harmony, and poverty alleviation in Xinjiang. It has also produced several documentaries drawing up, dramatizing and exaggerating the threat of terrorism in the region (Alpermann 2020), together with more personal content. This included so called "proof-of-life" videos and assurances that minorities are living a happy life in Xinjiang.…”