Main content

The Disinformation Dragon

The Chinese government has embarked on a new global strategy of promoting disinformation on issues such as Covid-19 and Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement.

Prior to the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement and the Covid-19 pandemic, China’s presence on international social media was largely to promote a positive image of its country – trying to ‘change the climate’ rather than seeking to sow confusion and division. But this is changing.

In this investigation by File on 4 and ´óÏó´«Ã½ Monitoring, Paul Kenyon and Krassimira Twigg examine China’s new strategy of aggressively pushing disinformation on social media platforms through the use of ‘wolf warrior’ diplomats, internet bots, ‘the 50-cent army’ of loyal Chinese netizens and a longer term goal of inventing a new type of internet where authoritarian governments can control users.

Editor: Lucy Proctor
Producer: Jim Booth

Available now

36 minutes

Last on

Sun 14 Mar 2021 17:00

Broadcasts

  • Tue 9 Mar 2021 20:00
  • Sun 14 Mar 2021 17:00

Download this programme

Subscribe to this programme or download individual episodes.

Podcast