A recent analysis conducted by CNN alleged that nearly half of the over 300 most-shared Ukraine-related social media posts by Chinese state-run media outlets were “distinctly pro-Russian.”
The analysis looked into 14 major outlets’ Weibo posts from the first eight days of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Details in the posts that were not directly lifted from Russia's own state media were attributed to Russian authorities.
Some of the topics taken from Russian sources include accusations that Ukrainian soldiers use "Nazi" methods, misleading information on the location of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia’s claims that it will not attack areas with civilian presence.
While the Chinese government has been portraying a neutral position on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in its international messaging, Chinese state-run media outlets such as CCTV, People’s Daily and Xinhua in particular have reportedly been found to be promoting pro-Russian talking points in their domestic coverage of the recent invasion, which they often refer to as a “special military operation.”
On Monday, local broadcaster CCTV promoted Russia’s speculation that the U.S. government provided financial support to help Ukrainian labs develop biological weapons. This speculation supports Moscow’s ongoing narrative that Ukraine is an American-controlled state which poses a threat to Russia.
CCTV’s source was reportedly Russian Defense Ministry Spokesperson Igor Konashenkov, who has earlier claimed...
Russian military command has been lying for the fifth month in a row about battlefield “successes,” claiming that Russian forces are advancing west of Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region. However, this...