A @GIOReport investigation has found that YouTube is being flooded with hundreds of Chinese propaganda videos denouncing Western companies after they accused the Chinese government of using forced labor in the cotton-growing Xinjiang region. https://www.global-influence-ops.com/exclusive-youtube-flooded-with-chinese-propaganda-videos-denying-forced-labor-accusations-in-xinjiang/">https://www.global-influence-ops.com/exclusive...
Western companies such as H&M, Adidas and Nike are facing a coordinated online smear campaign because they have spoken out against Chinese human rights violations in Xinjiang. Most propaganda videos analyzed for this report feature recurring themes and sequences:
1) Many propaganda videos start with a person saying they had heard about the boycott by H&M and others and how the accusations made by the firms were lies.
2) They then go on to praise the mechanization of cotton harvesting in Xinjiang, claiming the cotton was now picked very efficiently.
3) This is usually followed by an explanation of how much money they earned with their work and how much better their lives were because of this. Often, they then would give a small tour through their house to prove that they are well-to-do.
4) Many videos close with a final statement denouncing Western companies, mostly H&M, for their alleged lies.
The observed similarities across the network’s videos suggest they are part of a coordinated influence operation aimed at countering Western allegations of human rights violations in Xinjiang.
You might be interested in this thread on a Chinese YouTube IO regarding Xinjiang cotton
cc @jgriffiths @Hannah_LSBailey @jessbrandt @mayaguzdar @MareikeOhlberg @JakeWallis_ASPI @nathanattrill @BethanyAllenEbr @barros_bryce
cc @jgriffiths @Hannah_LSBailey @jessbrandt @mayaguzdar @MareikeOhlberg @JakeWallis_ASPI @nathanattrill @BethanyAllenEbr @barros_bryce