The China Global Television Network is a Chinese state broadcaster backed by the Communist Party of China – and it’s just started putting out propaganda pieces on TikTok that feature the words of comedian and Daily Show host, Trevor Noah.
The account is using clips of Noah as part of a propaganda campaign around the coronavirus pandemic.
In one of the clips, Noah talks about how “The Chinese government has announced there has been so much improvement in Wuhan that the lockdown will be lifted there,” before making a joke about how Wuhan will be closing their borders to prevent “the America virus” from entering the city.
China has recently been involved in a propaganda campaign to make suggestions that the term “Chinese virus” is racist. The campaign worked and was picked up by Western media and amplified.
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China’s officials have also been taking to Twitter to put out ideas suggesting that the virus originated in the US – and it’s Noah’s remarks that are being used to amplify that idea in China.
While also preventing the publication of research about the originals of the virus in China, China is actively looking for clips from US media that portray the US in a bad light, and Trevor Noah’s content has been perfect fodder for China’s messaging that allows it to deny culpability.
