How the CCP’s propaganda machine uses Western elites to bolster its legitimacy
the article discusses how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) uses its state-run media outlet China Global television Network (CGTN) to project propaganda that portrays the United States negatively while depicting China as a rising,well-governed superpower. CGTN frequently features Western elites-including professors from prestigious universities, journalists from major media outlets, and influential nonprofit leaders-many of whom appear unaware of CGTN’s direct ties to the CCP’s Central Propaganda Department. These Western guests discuss a broad range of topics, often aligned with Beijing’s interests, wich helps legitimize and disseminate CCP narratives both domestically and internationally.
Some guests expressed surprise upon learning about CGTN’s government affiliation and stated they would avoid future appearances. Others, aware of the connection, justified their participation by emphasizing their ability to speak freely and to convey their viewpoints. The network also employs Western anchors and correspondents, enhancing its credibility. CGTN has been criticized for downplaying human rights abuses,pushing pro-Russia narratives regarding the Ukraine conflict,and spreading disinformation during the Hong Kong protests.
the article further notes that major tech platforms like Meta and Google have facilitated CGTN’s reach via advertising and content promotion,fueling concerns about the spread of CCP propaganda.the piece highlights how the CCP leverages Western voices and platforms to bolster its legitimacy and shape global perceptions in its favor.
How the CCP’s propaganda machine uses Western elites to bolster its legitimacy
Each week, distinguished academics, activists, and media professionals join forces — sometimes unknowingly — to help the Chinese Communist Party portray the United States as a decaying empire in contrast to an ascendant China.
China Global Television Network is one of the country’s most prolific state-run media outfits. Operating under the Central Propaganda Department of the CCP, CGTN, in the words of a 2022 academic paper, depicts the U.S. as “poorly governed, plutocratic, racist, and a destabilizing international influence” and China as “well governed, benign, stable, and a rising superpower.” A Washington Examiner review of social media posts dating back to August found that dozens of high-profile Westerners, primarily professors, have appeared on the network for interviews. Many of these guests were not aware of CGTN’s links to Beijing.
Among CGTN’s guests were professors from prestigious universities such as Yale, Brown, Dartmouth, Emory, Johns Hopkins, and Georgetown, as well as journalists affiliated with mainstream outlets such as CNN and leaders from influential nonprofit organizations. The guests spoke on a wide array of topics, ranging from issues of great interest to Beijing, such as U.S. tariff policy, the war in Ukraine, and the promotion of Chinese history, to more innocuous subjects like esports and music festivals.
“The Chinese Communist Party endeavors to launder their anti-American propaganda through American voices, which makes it more believable for both Chinese and American audiences,” Michael Lucci, CEO of the national security organization State Armor, told the Washington Examiner. “These voices range from LeBron James backing Beijing when they crushed freedom in Hong Kong, to American academics and financiers declaring America to be irreversibly flawed and the 21st century to be the Chinese century, to a broad whitewashing of the genocide occurring in Xinjiang. CGTN is a primary conduit in Beijing’s global propaganda machine and mixes as many American and Western voices as possible into their fundamentally anti-American propaganda.”
When reached by the Washington Examiner, multiple individuals said they were unfamiliar with CGTN’s links to the Chinese government and would not appear on the network again after being made aware of the relationship. The fact that multiple guests were ignorant of the CCP’s control over CGTN shows that booking agents working for the network may have failed to disclose such information.
For instance, Charles Kuck, an adjunct professor of law at Emory and immigration law firm partner, appeared on CGTN earlier this month to discuss the effect of deportations on the job market.
After being reached by the Washington Examiner, Kuck said he “did not know about [CGTN’s] designation” and “would not have appeared” if he had known. Kuck was referring to the State Department’s designation of CGTN as a foreign mission of the CCP in 2020.
“I will make a note to avoid them in the future,” Kuck said.
Ken Kuttner, a professor of economics at Williams College, also told the Washington Examiner that he was previously unfamiliar with CGTN’s designation. He noted that his segment on the network, which included his comments on the latest U.S. inflation numbers, “didn’t have an obvious political agenda.” However, he said being made aware of the network’s affiliation with the Central Propaganda Department of the CCP made him “hesitant to appear again.”
Alan Cross, a well-known Canadian music critic, also appeared on the network recently and told the Washington Examiner that he “wasn’t aware of CGTN’s reputation.”
“Now that I know, I’ll be turning down any future requests,” he said.
One CGTN guest that the Washington Examiner spoke with cited the prevalence of high-profile guests on the network as part of the reason he felt comfortable going on.
“Yes, I was aware of the affiliation between CGTN and the Chinese government,” Gene Rossi, former federal prosecutor and prominent commentator, said. “I did research on people who have gone on. And the people that have gone on were pretty impressive and included Tony Blair, Henry Kissinger, Bill Gates, Hillary Clinton, and a host of other political leaders and eminent individuals throughout the world.”
Rossi also said CGTN “imposed no limitations whatsoever” on his statements, which he said provided him with an opportunity to show “the greatness of America on Chinese TV.”
CGTN has faced criticism for running advertisements downplaying China’s Uyghur repression and pushing pro-Russia talking points following the nation’s invasion of Ukraine. The state-run outlet also broadcast coerced confessions and published disinformation about anti-CCP dissidents, most notably during its coverage of the 2019-2020 Hong Kong protests, for which the outlet portrayed pro-democracy demonstrators as violent terrorists.
Other CGTN guests reached by the Washington Examiner were mixed on whether they were aware of it being state-run media. Still, they shared Rossi’s view that the network’s ties to the CCP were insufficient to dissuade them from appearing, as they felt that their ability to speak freely was not impeded.
John Tamny, an editor at RealClear Markets, told the Washington Examiner that he was unaware of CGTN’s government affiliations but would continue to appear on the network given his support for free trade between the U.S. and China and because he felt the network’s coverage is fair.
Will Humble and Eric Feigl-Ding, two public health experts, expressed to the Washington Examiner that they felt CGTN was a good platform to share information about their field of expertise and that the interviews were fairly conducted.
Roger Smith, a professor emeritus of political science at the University of Pennsylvania, gave similar rationale, telling the Washington Examiner that he “was aware that CGTN is under the control of the Chinese Communist Party and seeks to portray China favorably” but that his “policy is to respond to requests from journalists by conveying the truth as I understand it, regardless of the political viewpoint of their employers” even though he is otherwise critical of China. According to Smith, CGTN has presented his statements accurately and made an effort to present both sides of a given issue, such as Trump’s decision to deploy National Guard troops in Washington, D.C.
Other noteworthy Western guests that have appeared on CGTN in recent weeks include American University history professor Anton Fedyashin, physician Mads Gilbert, Carter Center Senior Adviser on China Yawei Liu, former CNN Senior Correspondent Arwa Damon, ANSWER Coalition National Director Brian Becker, former JPMorgan Chase Chief Economist Anthony Chan, Yale University professor of finance Kelly Shue, and dozens of others.
In addition to Western guests, CGTN also uses Western news anchors and correspondents, giving the network an even more legitimate appearance. Among them are Hendrik Sybrandy, Mark Niu, Alasdair Baverstock, Nick Harper, Kate Fisher, and Karina Mitchell.
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The Washington Examiner previously reported that Meta has accepted money from CGTN to run ads on Facebook, Google promotes the network’s stories to readers, and it has recently been pushing clips on social media echoing talking points common among Democratic operatives.
CGTN did not respond to a request for comment.
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