Vivian Wang of The New York Times offers a fascinating piece on how Mainland China has embraced and prompted many foreign travel bloggers…as long as their message concerning China is positive.
Chinese Propaganda Will Happily Promote Foreign Travel Bloggers Who Stick To The Right Narrative
As China fully reopens after a multi-year closure, many bloggers and vloggers are showing up to chronicle their travels to China. Those who promote travel in China not only as tools for economic growth via tourism but as propaganda in the greater existential struggle with the West:
But for China, the videos do more than help stimulate its economy. They are a chance for Beijing to hit back at what it calls an anti-China narrative in the West. China in recent years has encouraged locals to treat foreigners as potential spies; expanded its surveillance state; and expelled or arrested journalists at Chinese and foreign media outlets. But it points to the carefree travel videos as proof — from Westerners — that criticisms about those issues are manufactured.
“Overseas audiences find that through these videos, they see a real, fast-developing China that differs from the one under the mainstream narrative in the West,” said one article in The Global Times, a Communist Party-controlled tabloid.
In terms of website growth, returning to China and writing fawning story after fawning story about the culture, food, and beauty of China would probably nicely increaase my income. You write your stories or make your videos in a manner that praises China and you will be promoted on platforms like Weibo, Douyin, Doubin, and Baidu Tieba.
And as a traveler who has been to China many times and been to over 145 countries…I don’t think it’s wrong to point out that there is a certain beauty and that the human family is not so different, regardless of geographic position. Indeed, I think it is wrong to blanketly label China as “bad” when there is immense complexity in a country of 1.4 billion people.
Now at the same time, going into the Xinjiang region and talking about how great the dumplings are instead of the seven security checkpoints you had to pass in order to reach the restaurant strikes me as duplicitous…like Tucker Carlson’s amazement over a grocery store in Moscow.
As it turns out, I think of China like I do Russia and Iran…and I think all those nations have people who want the same things in life that you or I do and are not supportive of their government. And there is room for discussion even with those who are…
But do understand that you may be attacked for reporting the facts…
Another traveler, Sara Qiu, a Spanish cyclist who has been riding through western China, shared exuberant posts on Facebook and Instagram about her journey: being invited by strangers to join their son’s wedding or to eat dinner at their homes. Her travels have expanded her understanding of the country her parents immigrated from, Qiu, 32, said in an interview.
But she has also shared stories about being tailed by police cars, especially while in Xinjiang, and being turned away from hotels because she is foreign.
When she shared a video of her experience booking a room — a hotel employee said he had to make a call before he could accept her and the police later visited her — some commenters who appeared to be Chinese accused her of smearing China.
“They say why are you posting this, what is the meaning,” she recalled. “I just wanted to reflect the situation.”
I’m not really up for visiting places where hotel workers have to call the police in order to to obtain permission to accept guests…
If you won’t do it, then I will. Matthew I plan to compete directly with you by starting my own blog. I will call it “Chi Hsuan’s Chi Journeys” and I will travel the world and post reviews, clickbait, and other items of interest. I also plan to travel to China and lavish praise on their corrupt commie government in exchange for clicks.
In the same way that you praise inept DEI hire and creepy homosexual Pete Bootieplug, I will write absurd praise for the Chinese government.
Now, who’s with me?!
As an adult who makes comments like “creepy homosexual” unprompted, when discussing topics that have nothing to do with that, I wonder how you actually function in society?
How do you hold a job, how do you maintain relationships? You seem like a very unpleasant person who has not grown up, and that’s a very difficult position for an adult to occupy.
Kiss my left ball, dimwit
I’m not sure that showing @DanTheMan to be correct about you is really what you should aspire to in this context.
That’s it, you both earned yourselves 1 day BANS from Chi Hsuan’s Chi Journeys. You may start commenting the day after I start the blog.
Who’s the self admitted homosexual now? Step out of the closet. You will be happier
White monkey like you are exactly what Chinese gov want. They use you to advertise to the world that they are great, and internally paint you as a beger taking Chinese money as a “white” or “foreigner”. And also, your hatred towards your own people is great propaganda material to paint the west as failing. Alas, there are these stupid people like you who enjoying selling souls to line their pockets.
Dumb.
Part 2-
CHINESE PROPAGANDA LOVES FOREIGN TRAVEL BLOGGERS…AS LONG AS THEY EMBED TIK TOK LINKS INTO THEIR ARTICLES.
Foreign governments lavish services and funding on influencers who cherry pick the most unrealistically favorable aspects???
I’m shocked. SHOCKED!
Having traveled seated next to influencers exuberantly recording a trip or vista, nothing surprises me anymore.
We need to resurrect that long ago term from AM radio days and call it for what it is … payola.
Everyone has complete freedom of speech. Just once per lifetime.
Every blogger can go to China and come back to post a completely neutral story. Once.
While China is certainly more aggressive about criticizing anything, it is against the law in Thailand to be critical about many things.
Chi Hsuan, I am getting my ” White Dudes for Harris ” hat . Although a female, I want men understand, I promise to protect your employment, guns , fossil fuel appliances and vehicles. We love men! Well most of you. 🙂
Well .you’re in good company. You’ve got more testosterone than anyone who would join that band. But don’t worry! Come November the real men will be back in charge and Kamala will be back to the only job she’s ever been good at: blowjobs
I thought that was your specialty.
No, rimjobs, especially for hot Asian guys
The hypocrisy of the West about those things is staggering. If we stand for democracy,the rule of law etc etc, why aren’t we imposing any sanctions on regimes that are in the business of setting up concentration camps and mass censorship (PRC) or rig elections then kill and abduct people who dare to protest about that (Venezuela)? I really cannot see how the US, EU etc could possibly claim any sort of moral high ground in the world arena.
Interesting that posters are allowed to spread vitriol here. But then they’re maga so all is well eh Matt?
“White monkeys” as these influencers are called. Nothing new. The Chinese government have been doing these for years.