Chinese Embassy Places Content in Two Icelandic Media

On October 1, 2019, the Chinese Embassy in Iceland collaborated with two Icelandic publications — the daily newspaper Morgunblaðið and the Icelandic Times — to mark the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The embassy produced an eight-page Icelandic supplement and a 38-page English special edition containing data on China’s development and articles on bilateral relations. Ambassador Jin Zhijian (金智健) used these platforms to state China’s positions on the “Belt and Road” initiative, Arctic policy, and trade friction. The publications included interviews and articles from Icelandic figures, including the former president and the Minister of Education, Science, and Culture. This cooperation serves as a regional example of the “borrowed boat” (借船出海) strategy, where the Chinese Communist Party utilizes established foreign media outlets to disseminate its official narratives and policy perspectives to a local audience.