โWhich foreign forces do you talk about? Karl Marx or Friedrick Engels?โ
Originally published on Global Voices
The presence of foreign forces in Chinese history. Historical images. Public domain.
In the aftermath of the nationwide protests against the zero-COVID policy, the Chinese government, on the one hand, pacifies the resentment by easing the PCR testing and quarantine restrictions and, on the other hand, represses protests by beefing up censorship, sending university students back home and randomly searching of mobile devices for foreign apps in the streets.
On social media, the propaganda authorities also spread conspiracy theories about the presence of foreign influence to deter people from participating in and supporting the protest action. While the narratives of foreign influence had been very effective in mobilizing patriots to intimidate foreign journalists when they are covering news in China, such as the coverage of flooding in Zhengzhou last year, and harass protest supporters on social media, such as the anti-China extradition protests in Hong Kong in 2019, this time, however, the nationalistic rhetoric is reckoned as a smear campaign against Chinese people.
The foreign influence conspiracy theories were widespread on all major social media platforms. One of the most widely circulated commentaries appeared on the party-controlled and most popular online news portal, the Headline News or Toutiao, on November 28.
็ญ็ฑ่ฟไธชๅฝๅฎถ๏ผๆฏๆณๅๆณ่ฎฉๅฅนๅๅพๆดๅฅฝ๏ผ่ไธๆฏ้ ๅ้ฌผๅญไปฌไธ่ตท๏ผๆณๆน่ฎพๆณ่ฎฉๅฅนโๅฎ่โโฆ่ฟไธคๆฅ๏ผๆณๅฟ ๅคงๅฎถ้ฝๆๆ่ณ้ปไบ๏ผๅคไธชๅฐๅบๅบ็ฐไบ้ทๅ็่ไผ้นไบ็ป้ฃโโๆฌง็พๅผ็่ช็ฑๅฃๅทใๆธฏๆฏๅผ็่กจ่พพๅ ๅฎนใๅนด่ฝปไบบ่ขซ้ผๅจๅไธใไธ็ฌฆๅๆฌๅฐ็พคไผ็นๅพ็โไปฃ่กจโๅจ้ข้๏ผ็่ณ่ฟๆๆธฏๅฐ่ ใๆด้ขๅญไบค็ปๅ ถไธญ๏ผไนไธไน่ฅฟๆนโไผ ๆๅฃซโ็่บซๅฝฑใไปไปฌ้นไบ่กจๆ็้ฃๆ ผ๏ผๆฏๅ ธๅ็้ข่ฒ้ฉๅฝๆๆณใ
To love this country is to find ways to improve it, not to stand with the gui-zi [a debased term for calling foreigners] to bring down the country by all meansโฆIn the past two days, I think we all know about it, the pictures that looked like riots appeared in some regions โ U.S-European style freedom slogans, poisonous Hong Kong style expressions, young people were incited to participate, โrepresentativesโ who did not look like locals took the lead, Hong Kong and Taiwan accents, western looking faces, shadows of western โmissionariesโ. The way they stirred up chaos is very typical of the colour revolution [movement for regime change].
Many pro-government influencers, such as Chairman Rabbit (Ren Yi), a Harvard Kennedy School alumnus and the third-generation descendant of Ren Zhongyi, a founding member of the Chinese Communist Party, wrote on Weibo:
ไธๆตท่ฟ้นไธคๅคฉ๏ผๆฅ่ๅไบฌใๅไบฌไบฎ้ฉฌๆกฅ๏ผ่ฟไฝฟ้ฆๅบ๏ผโฆ2)ๅฃๅทๆฏๆฟๆฒปๆง็๏ผ็นๅซๆฏไธๆตท๏ผๅพ็ฝ่ง๏ผ4๏ผๅค็ต้ฝๅทๅทๅคดๆกๆฅ้๏ผๅ ณ้ฎๅคๅช้ฝๅฐไบ็ฐๅบ๏ผ3๏ผไธป้ขไธไน้ฒๆจ้ฝ็ธๅ ณ๏ผ็ฌฆๅๅขๅคๆฟๆฒปๅฟๅๅฏนๆฐ็็ๆณ่ฑกใ5๏ผๆจๅคฉๅ็ฐ๏ผๅฑ ็ถๅจ็ปดๅบ็main pageไนๆฏๅคดๆก๏ผ่ฟๆไธไธชๅพ้ฟ็่ฑๆ่ฏๆก๏ผ้ฝๆฏ็ฌฌไธๆถ้ดๅบๆฅ็๏ผๆไบบ็ญๅๅใ6๏ผๅ จๅฝ่ฟๆๅ ถไปๅฐๆนๅบ็ฐ๏ผ่ฏๅฎๆฏๆๆ็ป็ป็๏ผ7๏ผ็ฝไธๆๅพ็๏ผ้่ฟ็คพไบค็ฝ็ซ๏ผๅฆtelegram๏ผ็ป็ปใโฆๆไปฅ๏ผ่ฏๅฎๆๅขๅคๅฟๅๅไธ๏ผๅ ๅค็ญๅบใๆๅ ณ้จ้จๅบ่ฏฅๅจ็งฏๆ่กๅจไบใ
Shanghaiโs chaos lasted for two days, followed by Beijing. Beijing Liangmaqiao was near the embassy districts; โฆ2) the slogans are political, in particular in Shanghai, this is rare; 3) headlines in all foreign news agencies, foreign correspondents from major outlets were in the protest spots; 4) the protests were related to Urumqi, which matched foreign forcesโ imagination of Xinjiang; 5) yesterday I found out that even Wikipedia put the incident in its main page headline; the English entry of the incident is so detailed. Clearly, someone is behind it. 6) protests spread across the nation; they must be organized. 7) online images indicate that the protests were organized through social media platforms (such as telegram) โฆ Hence, overseas forces are definitely involved. They have insiders, and related authorities should take action.
In fact, even at the protest sites, the protesters were warned of the presence of foreign forces. But these claims were immediately rebutted. Below is a viral video showing how a student protester lambasted the claim about foreign influence:
ๅไบฌไบฎ้ฉฌๆกฅ
ๆๅญฆ็ๆๅบ๏ผๅจๆไปฌ็ๅจๅดๆๅขๅคๅๅๅฟๅ๏ผๅฏผ่ด็พคไผ็พคๆ ๆฟๆค๏ผๆๅญฆ็ๅๅบ็งฐโไฝ ่ฏด็ๅขๅคๅฟๅ๏ผๆฏ้ฉฌๅ ๆๅๆฉๆ ผๆฏๅ๏ผโ
ๅญฆ็็ปง็ปญ่ฏข้ฎ้๏ผโ่ฏท้ฎๆฐ็็็ซๆฏๅขๅคๅฟๅๆพ็ๅ๏ผ่ฏท้ฎ่ดตๅท็ๅคงๅทดๆฏๅขๅคๅฟๅๆจ็ฟป็ๅ๏ผโ
ๆไปฌ่ฟ็ฝ้ฝไธไธๅฐๅฝๅค็๏ผๆไปฌๅชๆฅ็ๅขๅคๅฟๅ๏ผๆไปฌๅชๆๅขๅ ๅฟๅไธ่ฎฉๆไปฌ่้๏ผ pic.twitter.com/h5F7749jPXโ ้ปๅคไธญ็ๅคง็ซ็ฌ (@renminwansui5) November 28, 2022
In Beijing Liangmaqiao. A student said there are anti-China foreign forces around to instigate the crowdsโ emotions; Another student said, โWhich foreign forces do you talk about? Karl Marx or Friedrick Engels?โ He kept asking, โDid the foreign force set the Xinjiang fire? Did they turn over the bus in Guizhou? We canโt even connect to overseas websites! Where do the foreign forces come from? We only have domestic forces which stop us from standing together!
Many protesters have anticipated the political label of foreign interference, as shown in a Beijing protester interview in Japanโs Asaki News channel:
ไธไฝๅจๅค้1็น้็ๅไบฌ่กๅคดๆฅ่็ฝ็บธ็ไธญๅฝๅนด่ฝป็ทๆง๏ผๅจๆฅๅๆฅๆฌๆๆฅ็ต่งๅฐ่ฎฐ่ ้่ฎฟๆถ่ฏดๅฐ๏ผ
โๆๅฏ่ฝไผ่ขซ่ฏดๆ่ขซๅขๅคๅฟๅๅฉ็จไบ๏ผไฝๆ่ฟๆฏไผๆฅๅไฝ ็้่ฎฟใ
่ฟไธๅนดๆฅๆไปฌ็ปๅไบๅพๅคไบๆ ๏ผไธไธไธช่ดตๅทๆฐ็ๅฏ่ฝๅฐฑๆฏๆใ
ๆไธ่ฝๅไปฅๅพ ๆฏ๏ผไธ่ฝ่ชๅ็ญไบกใ
่ณ่ๆก่ฝฆ๏ผๆไน่ฆๆกไธไธใโ pic.twitter.com/cvv07yEA5mโ ็บตๆจชๆฅๆฌ (@zonghengjp) November 28, 2022
A young man holding a white piece of paper in the street in Beijing told the journalist from Asaki News channel: โI would probably be misinterpreted as being used by foreign forces. But I will still accept your interview. We have gone through a lot in the past few years. I would become the next victim, like those from Guizhou [bus crash] and Xinjiang [fire]. I canโt just sit and wait. I canโt dig my own grave. Even if I am acting like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, at least I tried.
Many had spoken out against the foreign interference label on Weibo, but their posts were deleted. Below are some deleted Weibo posts:
่ฎคไธบๅขๅคๅฟๅๅฏไปฅไธๅคไน้ดๅจๅ จๅฝๅๅคงๅๅธ็ป็ป่ฟไนๅคง่งๆจก็ๆดปๅจ๏ผ่ฟๅ้ฑ้ไบบไธพ็ฝ็บธ๏ผๆฏไธๆฏๅคๅฐๆ็น็ไธ่ตทๅฑไปฌๅฝๅฎถ็ๅคฉ็ฝไบ๏ผ
Those who claimed that foreign forces organized such large-scale nationwide protests within days, and paid for those who hold the white papers, arenโt they belittling our countryโs Great Firewall?
ๆ ธ้ ธ้ ๅๆถๆฒกๆไบบๆๅขๅคๅฟๅ๏ผ่ไบบ็ไธไธ็ ๆถๆฒกๆไบบๆๅขๅคๅฟๅ๏ผๅญๅฆๅจๅป้ข้จๅฃๆต่กๆถๆฒกๆๆๅขๅคๅฟๅ๏ผ็ ด้จ่ๅ ฅ่ฝฌ่ฟๆถๆฒกไบบๆๅขๅคๅฟๅ๏ผ่ๆๅฎ ็ฉๆถๆฒกๆไบบๆๅขๅคๅฟๅโฆโฆ็ฐๅจ๏ผ็พคไผ็ซๅบๆฅ่ฆๆฑไปไปฌไพๆณๅไบ๏ผ็ปไบๆไบบๆๅขๅคๅฟๅไบใ
No one mentioned foreign power behind the false PCR test result; no one mentioned foreign power when elderlies could not go to the hospital; no one mentioned foreign power when pregnant women were bleeding outside the hospital; no one mentioned foreign power when people were forcefully taken to the quarantine centre; no one mentioned foreign power when pets were killed cold-bloodedlyโฆ now, when people stand up and ask them to act according to the law, they brought up foreign forces.
ๆฏๆฌก้ฝไปๅฆๅขๅคๅฟๅๅขๅคๅฟๅ๏ผๆๅ่ฏดไธ้๏ผ่ฆๆฏ็็ๆฏๅขๅคๅฟๅๅฎๆไธญๅฝไบบไธ่ก่ฆๆฑ่งฃๅฐ๏ผ้ฃๅขๅคๅฟๅไธไธชไธช็็้ฝๆฏๆดป่ฉ่จ๏ผๆๆไธญๅฝไบบ้ฝ่ฏฅ็ปๅขๅคๅฟๅ็ฃไธชๅคดใ
Every time they blame foreign forces. Here I said again: if foreign forces are behind the Chinese street protests against lockdowns, these forces are goddesses, and we Chinese people owe them a bow.
Some responded to the conspiracy theory by posting historical photos of the eminent presence of foreign forces in China. These images were shared on Twitter too:
่ฐๆๆฏไธญๅฝ็ๆญฃ็โๅขๅคๅฟๅโ๏ผ็ปๅพ๏ผ
๏ผ1/3๏ผ pic.twitter.com/humXtOTqPqโ ๆฑ้ตๅ (@zhu0588) November 29, 2022
Who are the real โforeign forcesโ (image collection post)
Prominent Chinese journalist Shi-nian-kan-chaiโs view on the foreign force conspiracy theory has been widely quoted and circulated. On Twitter, @wuyuesanren echoed:
ๆ่งๅพๅๅนด็ ๆด่ฏด็ๅฏน๏ผ็ๆโๅขๅคๅฟๅโๆ นๆฌไธไผ็ ฝๅจ่็พๅง้ โๅๆๆธ ้ถโ็ๅ๏ผไฝ ไปฌไธซๆบ็ๆๅฅฝๅฐๅๅนด๏ผ็ถๅๆฐ็ฉท่ดขๅฐฝใๅค่ต่ทๅ ใ
้ฃๆถๅ่ฟๆโไธญๅฝๅจ่่ฎบโไน๏ผๆฒกไบๅใ่ไธ้พๆฐ้ฎ้ข้ฝๆฒกๆ๏ผๅ ไธบๅ่พพๅฝๅฎถๆฒกไธไธช่ทไธญๅฝๆฅๅฃค็ใ
ไฝๅกๆ็น่ๅญ็ๅขๅคๅฟๅ๏ผ้ฝ็ญ็็ๆจๆ ขๆง่ชๆ๏ผ็ญ็ๅฑๅฃไธ่ทๆญช่ๆ ๆไธช็บฆไผใ
โ ไบๅฒณๆฃไบบ (@wuyuesanren) November 28, 2022
Shi-nian-kan-chai is correct, if there are foreign forces, they will not incite people to protest against the dynamic zero-COVID policy. They should wish the lockdown last for a decade until the country and its people become so poor, and all the foreign investments are gone. There wonโt be any China threat. They wonโt even have to face refugee problems, as none of the wealthy countries is near China. Any foreign power with basic intelligence would wait to watch your slow suicide, wait to see the emperor hanging himself in a tree.
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