Another Chinese Propaganda Outpost for Italy
Italy now hosts three of China’s seven “international communication centers” operating abroad, a signature Xi Jinping initiative to shape the country’s image globally.
Chinese Consul Pens Article for Italian Media
On August 5, 2022, Corriere della Sera published a paid half-page article written by the Chinese Consul General, titled “Chi gioca col fuoco finisce per bruciarsi” (“He Who Plays with Fire Risks Getting Burned”). The piece attacked US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for her August 2-3 visit to Taiwan, echoing Chinese President Xi Jinping’s warnings at the time to President Joe Biden. The consul general claimed Pelosi’s visit was a “serious violation of the one-China principle” and predicted it would “accelerate” reunification rather than prevent it. The publication of the article prompted immediate criticism from the Lombardy Association of Journalists, whose president called it “embarrassing” for the Italian press to publish such paid propaganda “with no contradictory opinion.”
Key Entities and Players Involved
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