A Global Propaganda LaboratoryChina, MalaysiaHainan leverages its strategic position to spearhead China’s local push for national discourse power from Southeast Asia to the Middle East.
Backyard Furnaces of PropagandaChina, Hong KongAn international communication initiative in the wealthy southern province of Guangdong, bordering Hong Kong, plans to make propaganda resources of local creators as well as foreign expats.
Hainan Opens Middle East Media CenterUnited Arab EmiratesAs the provincial government launches a communication outpost in Dubai, it partners with an outlet CMP previously identified as having close ties to China’s foreign affairs ministry.
Deadly Blunders in BangkokThailandWhen a skyscraper built by a Chinese state company was the only to collapse in during the recent earthquake, China’s first response was not rescue — it was information lockdown.
Influencer DiplomacyIndonesiaOn a tour of cities in China, Indonesian influencers gushed about food and culture while millions of followers watched. Seemingly spontaneous, the tour was actually a Chinese state strategy.
Leapfrogging to Autocratic AIChinaAs China’s DeepSeek AI is adapted to censor anti-government content in India, is the technology a gift to despots everywhere?
Uncovering the Scam IndustryThailandThrough on-the-ground reporting, the WeChat-based outlet Positive Connections offers rare insight into the cyber scam compounds along the Thailand-Myanmar border — questioning prevailing Chinese public opinion that scapegoats Southeast Asian countries.
Central and Local Media Join Forces in ThailandChina, ThailandA Bangkok summit celebrating China’s engagement in Southeast Asia reveals Beijing’s growing use of both national and provincial propaganda outlets to shape regional narratives.
A Media Labyrinth in the Middle EastChinaAn oddly compliant question from the foreign press corps on the sidelines of this year’s National People’s Congress kicked up a simple question: Who is China-Arab TV?