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The Center for Uyghur Studies (CUS) has released a new report titled "Exposing China's Propaganda Campaigns in MENA," detailing how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is conducting wide-ranging propaganda and influence operations across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
According to the study, Beijing's efforts are designed to project China as a benevolent partner while suppressing criticism of its human rights abuses, particularly against Uyghur Muslims. The report argues that these information campaigns go beyond trade promotion, serving as a strategic tool to silence dissent and win diplomatic support for China's policies. The CCP's propaganda strategy in MENA seeks to secure regional backing for initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and to neutralize international outrage over the persecution of Uyghurs. Tactics include Arabic-language state media broadcasts through outlets such as CGTN Arabic and Xinhua, content-sharing deals with local newspapers, and Arabic-language social media campaigns. The report also highlights the use of inauthentic online accounts, often working in coordination with Russian and Iranian propaganda, to spread disinformation and distort debates. CUS notes that China relies heavily on soft power mechanisms like Confucius Institutes; 23 currently operate in MENA to promote a sanitized image of Chinese culture while omitting references to repression. Thousands of Arab students studying in China under government scholarships are exposed to curated narratives that avoid mention of mass internment, surveillance, and religious erasure in the Uyghur homeland. Economically, China's growing trade ties, which reached $368 billion in 2022, have created dependencies that encourage local governments and media outlets to avoid criticism of Beijing. China's propaganda consistently portrays Beijing as a defender of the Muslim world and a supporter of Palestinian rights, while dismissing reports of Uyghur persecution as "lies of the century." During crises like the 2023 Gaza conflict, Chinese media positioned China as a peace broker while painting the U.S. and its allies as biased and interventionist. The report also warns of China's export of surveillance technologies such as Huawei's "Safe City" systems to MENA states, which reinforce digital authoritarianism. These technologies, developed in Xinjiang to monitor Uyghurs, are now being used by Arab governments to tighten control over their populations, often under the banner of public security. CUS concludes that Beijing's efforts have already shaped public opinion in the region, with surveys showing rising approval of China, sometimes surpassing views of the United States. Most Muslim-majority countries in MENA have refrained from criticizing China's treatment of Uyghurs, with many even endorsing Beijing's stance at the UN. Human rights groups warn this trend undermines accountability, freedom of expression, and solidarity with oppressed communities. The report urges MENA governments, civil society, and international partners to intensify fact-checking, support independent journalism, and promote media literacy to counter CCP disinformation. It also calls on global technology platforms to expose and dismantle covert Chinese networks and advocates for coordinated international responses to defend informational integrity in the region. (ANI)
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