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Activity Type: Cross-Publication with PRC Sources

Euractiv Runs External Propaganda from China’s MFA

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On July 11, the European news outlet Euractiv published an article labeled as “Advertiser Content” and authored by “Xin Ping Mission of China to the EU” that presented Chinese government propaganda arguing that Taiwan was legally and historically an inseparable part of China. The piece cited UN Resolution 2758, post-WWII agreements including the Cairo and Potsdam Declarations, and bilateral treaties to assert China’s sovereignty over Taiwan, dismissing any claims of Taiwanese independence as “ridiculous” and “dangerous revisionism.” While the byline claimed “Xin Ping is a commentator on international affairs,” this writer is not a human being but rather an official pen name used by China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency for opinion pieces, particularly on China-EU relations, and the author was explicitly identified as representing China’s Mission to the EU — making clear that this was official Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs propaganda published through Euractiv’s paid content arrangement.

Chinese Ambassador Runs Articles in South Sudan Media

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Chinese Ambassador to South Sudan Ma Qiang (馬強) published an article titled “Working Together to Build a Community of Shared Future for Mankind” in several South Sudanese media outlets including The Dawn (黎明報) newspaper, City Review (城市評論報), and Juba Echo (朱巴回聲網) on January 15, 2024. The article highlights President Xi Jinping’s concept of building a “community of shared future for mankind” (人類命運共同體), which was first proposed in 2013 during Xi’s address to the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. Ambassador Ma emphasized China’s commitment to global cooperation and described ongoing China-Africa partnerships, including infrastructure projects like railways and ports. He specifically noted China-South Sudan cooperation in oil, broadcasting facilities, and the Clement Mboro Bridge (克萊門特·姆博羅大橋) project in Wau. Ma stated that China has responded to South Sudanese President Kiir’s call to shift assistance “from humanitarian to developmental areas” and mentioned upcoming implementation of several projects including the Juba Teaching Hospital (朱巴教學醫院) phase two and water well drilling initiatives.

Chinese Ambassador Featured in Bengali Newspaper

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Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Ma Mingqiang (馬明強) gave a joint media interview published on the front page of one of Bangladesh’s largest Bengali-language newspapers Prothom Alo (প্রথম আলো) on October 1, 2017. The interview covered China-Bangladesh relations following President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) October 2016 state visit, which Ma described as “historic”. During the visit, both countries elevated ties to strategic partnership status and signed over 20 cooperation agreements covering energy, power, maritime affairs, security, and climate change. Ma claimed the visit “brought over 400 million US dollars in investment” and that “Bangladesh will board the express train of China’s economic development.” He outlined cooperation progress under the Belt and Road Initiative, including the China-Bangladesh Friendship Bridge No. 8 (中孟友誼八橋), Payra coal-fired power plant (帕亞拉燃煤電站), and Chittagong Chinese Industrial Park (吉大港中國工業園區). Ma emphasized China’s role as Bangladesh’s largest trading partner, though he incorrectly stated bilateral trade reached $79.8 billion in the first half of 2017—actual full-year 2017 trade was approximately $12 billion. The interview highlighted expanding people-to-people exchanges, including over 1,000 Chinese scholarships for Bangladeshi students and the establishment of a second Confucius Institute at Dhaka University (達卡大學).

StarTimes Media and NRTA Sign Content Sharing Agreement

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China’s National Radio and Television Administration (國家廣播電視總局) and StarTimes Media Kenya signed a media cooperation agreement in Nairobi on July 1, 2024. NRTA Deputy Director Dong Xin (董新), who previously served as China Mobile CEO before his appointment to the media regulator in January 2024, said the deal would “help build bridges of friendship and mutual understanding” through content sharing, according to state media. The event launched “China TV Theater” and included a licensing agreement with Kenya’s Citizen Television for the drama series “Welcome to Milele Village” (歡迎來到麥樂村), which tells the story of Chinese medical teams working in Africa. Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Broadcasting and Telecommunications Edward Kisiang’ani said they hoped for “two-way exchanges” where “Kenyan content will also be viewed in China,” as reported by the outlet. The NRTA, controlled by the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Propaganda Department, actively promotes China’s international media partnerships through state-controlled entities and cultural exchanges.

CCP Media Group Launches Column in German Paper

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China Media Group (CMG) (中央廣播電視總台) and Germany’s Berliner Zeitung (柏林日報) launched a new column in November 2024 called “China Perspective,” featuring articles by CMG reporters. The column’s first piece, published on November 16, analyzed Volkswagen’s factory closures while highlighting China’s developments in electric vehicles. A second article, published on November 30, discussed the C919 commercial airliner and promoted Beijing’s narrative that China is “becoming an important global player” in aviation, citing developments in fighter jets and transport aircraft. CMG, which is under direct control of the Central Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party, frames this collaboration as providing Germans with “a new channel to understand China.” In reality, this partnership represents what analysts have identified as China’s “borrowed boat” strategy—a documented approach of utilizing foreign media platforms to advance state messaging internationally through content placement arrangements.

CMG Promotes Xi Jinping Quotes in Portuguese

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On November 20, 2024, China Media Group (中央廣播電視總台) launched a Portuguese version of “Quotable Quotes by Xi” Season 3 in Brasília during President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Brazil. The show, which features Chinese poetry and sayings quoted in Xi’s speeches, claims to present his “political wisdom” (政治智慧) and “cultural sentiment” while promoting concepts like “community of shared future for mankind” (人類命運共同體). Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, who also serves as Brazil’s Minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, attended the launch, where Deputy Director of the Central Propaganda Department and CMG President Shen Haixiong (慎海雄) said the program would help Brazilians “understand President Xi’s governance philosophy” (習近平主席的治國理政思想). Brazilian officials, including Communications Secretary Paulo Pimenta and Culture Minister Margareth Menezes, praised the series, with the National Media Company pledging to cooperate with CMG in “promoting mutual understanding.” The program was set to air on major Brazilian networks and appear on outdoor screens across Brasília.

Malaysia and China Sign MOU on Content Production and Sharing

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China’s National Radio and Television Administration (国家广播电视总局) and Malaysia’s Ministry of Communications signed a bilateral memorandum of understanding on September 26, 2024. The agreement aimed to “deepen practical cooperation” in areas including content creation, program exchange, and technological development while addressing challenges and opportunities brought by new technologies to traditional broadcasting. Meeting in Beijing during the 50th anniversary year of China-Malaysia diplomatic relations, China’s broadcasting chief Cao Shumin (曹淑敏) met with Malaysian Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil. The memorandum comes as both sides highlighted recent successes in “joint production and industry cooperation” (联合制作, 产业合作), with Malaysia noting that broadcasting has played a “positive role in enhancing mutual understanding” between the two nations.