How the CCP Mobilized a Cross-Border Disinformation Campaign Against the Czech Senate Speaker
Publication: China Brief Volume: 21 Issue: 7
April 12, 2021 01:05 PM
Age: 6 hours
Image: Chinese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Zhang Jianmin gives a talk in September 2018. Chinese diplomats, local partners, and high-level events such as trade conferences all play a role in building positive propaganda narratives (Image source: Global Times).
Introduction: Propaganda and Disinformation
Recent events in the Czech Republic (CR) offer an interesting case study in Chinese propaganda and disinformation. For the purpose of this article, the distinction between propaganda and disinformation is understood to be the following: Propaganda creates a strategic, mostly positive “grand” narrative that promotes a general agenda, designed to win people over. For the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), propaganda typically pushes sweeping claims that can include the historical role of the Party in l