China ‘uses social media to discredit BBC’S reporting of regime’

CHINA is using social media to attack the BBC in a state-backed disinformation campaign to undermine critical reporting by Western media of human rights abuses, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute has found.

The “coordinated effort by the CCP [Chinese Communist Party’s] propaganda apparatus” is to “discredit the BBC, distract international attention and recapture control of the narrative,” according to its report.

The institute found that the same Twitter network that amplified coronavirus origin conspiracy theories – such as China claiming the pandemic did not emerge in Wuhan and instead blaming the US Army – is now being leveraged to attack the BBC. That “pro-ccp Twitter network” boosts content pushed by China’s foreign ministry, going as far as claiming the BBC is paid by Western intelligence or “anti-china forces” to air certain stories.

“Negative online engagement with the BBC peaks on the same days as that of the party-state’s diplomats and state media,” the report said. “This is an important multiplier effect that helps CCP disinformation and propaganda.”

It came after broadcast regulator Ofcom revoked Chinese state broadcaster CGTN’S licence to air in the UK.

Albert Zhang and Jacob Wallis, the report’s authors, found that 48 Chinese diplomatic and state media Twitter accounts mentioned the BBC 253 times this year through mid-february. Over the same period, 33 Chinese diplomatic and state media Facebook accounts mentioned the BBC 161 times.

State media outlets also paid to have posts promoted on Facebook. Most were aimed at discrediting the BBC’S reporting on Xinjiang human rights abuses as “fake news” and “biased.” The campaign is largely directed at shaping international views outside China.

The BBC said last month: “We stand by our accurate and fair reporting of events in Chian and totally reject accusations of fake news or ideological bias.”