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Whipling @seanhaines.bsky.social · 1d

In a rare tweet, former Global Times chief Hu Xijin says: “The US cannot prevent China’s reunification with Taiwan by military means.” 🧐

It’s just one month since state media bent over backwards to describe Beijing's mammoth military parade as a not a show of force, but a "show of peace”.

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Whipling @seanhaines.bsky.social · 6d

Good point, worth explaining. So I deliberately skipped Zichen in the initial article — which this Economist story is based off, as despite ending up as a Xinhua product with rostered staff, Pekinology's story (and Z's) is more complicated~

Second half: 100%
One can dream 🥲

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Whipling @seanhaines.bsky.social · 13d

Trump is likely to sign the TikTok deal today, hiving off a new US company. So I thought I'd take a look..

Did you know ByteDance worked with Beijing state media to promote state influencer studios on TikTok? Exclusive.

Why China is so keen to support TikTok

The Party has regularly collaborated with ByteDance to amplify state content abroad. Those who believe it is fully independent from Beijing are lying, or naive.

open.substack.com

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Whipling @seanhaines.bsky.social · 25d

Thunk. This is a little looksy at how Chinese state media is currently trying to get out of the way of itself to enable workers, and deliver propaganda better-suited to the 21st Century.

✨Media Studios✨ Context. And how they’re run.

"No speed. No ability. Can't tell stories". Why China is turning to 'media studios' to revive its propaganda

These 'Light Cavalry' are designed to be small, nimble, and camouflaged — just don't ask them who they work for.

toosimple.substack.com

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Whipling @seanhaines.bsky.social · Aug 31

One is Xinhua's Jiang Jiang, who states in his newsletter: "views not representing Xinhua".

However, a recent Xinhua article said, stating it was "created by the External Dept", and listing all the ways its studios are supported / censored. Reference to Jiang Jiang was later deleted.

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Whipling @seanhaines.bsky.social · Aug 31

Substack has seen a quiet proliferation of Chinese state media accounts. Many are posing as 'independent journalists' — in fact, according to bosses, they are state-backed "studios", with the aim of subtly influencing "western elites" "drip-by-drip".

Most recent investigation, now free to read~

How Chinese state media are quietly targeting "elites" via Substack

Journalists say they are writing "independent" newsletters. Their employers say otherwise.

open.substack.com

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Whipling @seanhaines.bsky.social · Aug 27

Is he ever right..?

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Whipling @seanhaines.bsky.social · Aug 12

*WHO guidelines recommend annual average concentrations of PM2.5 should not exceed 5 µg/m3 — meaning China is 6x higher.

Also. Pick your moment, guys. Today, is a "purple" day, with Beijing hitting 252 PM2.5. 😷

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Whipling @seanhaines.bsky.social · Jul 26

Xiangyu, a pro-Beijing Taiwanese rapper released a song about the DPP 'selling out'. CGTN offered to amplify it—but only if he made "politically sensitive" changes.

Cue a hasty chorus rewrite, from:
🎶Taiwan is our home, we are Taiwanese🎶
-to-
🎶We are Chinese, our homeland is called Taiwan Province🎶

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Whipling @seanhaines.bsky.social · Jul 26

👈 The hope
The reality 👉

(Incidentally, Luke's now deleted the QRT)

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Whipling @seanhaines.bsky.social · Jul 26

Oh dear. Luke, a Brit who moved to Xinjiang, primarily as a shot in the arm for his influencer aspirations, and be state media's go-to foreign face on Uyghur issues, writes a long thread on XUAR's subtle political differences.

Backfires.
Gets full wrath from the botfarm.

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Reposted by Whipling

Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · Jul 25

Mind-blowing stats on nurseries in China: the number of births has fallen by half *since 2017*, leading to a collapse in early years provision.

The future impact on primary and secondary education is going to be seismic.

www.ft.com/content/8271...

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Whipling @seanhaines.bsky.social · Jul 25

Paraphrased. Source here, from 21m10. x.com/i/spaces/1rm...

Play recording: Live from Beijing

Jason Smith - 上官杰文’s Space · Where live audio conversations happen

x.com

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Whipling @seanhaines.bsky.social · Jul 25

CGTN's Jason Smith is currently hosting a livestream on X. "Chinese police are so safe! We went to a rural place in Qinghai and the police met us at the station and told us we couldn't be there. They followed us. There must have been a military base or something. I've never had an escort before!" 🧐

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Whipling @seanhaines.bsky.social · Jul 23

a) Very kind. 🍻
b) That tracks. If so, wonder how long it'd take to finish Operation: Secure Family Assets.

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Reposted by Whipling

BeijingPalmer @beijingpalmer.bsky.social · Jul 23

a) I've been enjoying this newsletter a lot, you should check it out

b) I think if Xi went now he would probably be remembered half-well - basically for the 2010s successes - but if he sticks around another five, ten years or more he will be categorized like Brezhnev.

Whipling @seanhaines.bsky.social · Jul 23

President Xi is by far the most powerful leader in China's recent history. But we're 13 years in, and his tenure has been one of economic mismanagement, disastrous foreign policy, and debt. A lot of debt.

How will historians remember him? Probably not fondly.

Will President Xi be a forgotten man..?

So far, his tenure has been one of borrowed wins, sputtering projects, and an economic ticking time-bomb. His legacy may be a rotten one.

toosimple.substack.com

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Whipling @seanhaines.bsky.social · Jul 23

State media often portray Xi as a great diplomat. Numbers say different.

Worldwide, confidence in Xi lags China everywhere (except India). Interestingly, some of the biggest gaps are with China's close political partners. A case of: "Love the country/money—just not the Party"?

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Whipling @seanhaines.bsky.social · Jul 23

This year, China will borrow $2.50 for every $1 of economic growth. This is not normal.

Xi has exploded borrowing, taking China from one of the least indebted countries globally, to one of the most in just a decade. All in, Gov debt now 312% of GDP.

And it's speeding up~

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Whipling @seanhaines.bsky.social · Jul 23

President Xi is by far the most powerful leader in China's recent history. But we're 13 years in, and his tenure has been one of economic mismanagement, disastrous foreign policy, and debt. A lot of debt.

How will historians remember him? Probably not fondly.

Will President Xi be a forgotten man..?

So far, his tenure has been one of borrowed wins, sputtering projects, and an economic ticking time-bomb. His legacy may be a rotten one.

toosimple.substack.com

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Reposted by Whipling

Chun Han Wong @chunhanwong.bsky.social · Jul 22

Chinese leader Xi Jinping isn’t quite the frequent flier he used to be. The most well-traveled leader in China’s history has reduced his international journeys in recent years, but he continues active diplomacy—as a host.

A @wsj.com analysis on Xi's travel patterns since he took power in late 2012.

China’s Xi Gives Up Air Miles for More Time at Home

The leader has scaled back travel plans and skipped some key summits, but continues active diplomacy—as a host.

www.wsj.com

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Whipling @seanhaines.bsky.social · Jul 21

Utterly, utterly terrifying.

At one point, a guy gets a louder round of applause for saying he's "a Nazi" than one does for saying he's a Christian.

1 Progressive vs 20 Far-Right Conservatives (ft. Mehdi Hasan)

YouTube video by Jubilee

youtu.be

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Whipling @seanhaines.bsky.social · Jul 16

Although, you already knew this.. *cough* *cough*

Where did all the laowai go?

China has loudly been telling the world its tourist industry is booming. Videos show legions of happy tourists. Yet numbers tell a different story...

open.substack.com

Whipling @seanhaines.bsky.social · Jul 16

New figures from the China’s National Immigration Administration out today. A total of 38 million foreigners visited/left China in H1 2025. Up 30% year-on-year — but still down 20% compared to H1 2019. Numbers very different to state media messaging. No boom. Yet.

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Reposted by Whipling

Finbarr Bermingham @fbermingham.bsky.social · Jul 15

Interesting Pew research on global opinions on China

Negative views persist in Europe, but in 9/10 of those countries polled, China viewed more favourably than last yr

France 23-36%
Italy 35-45%
Greece 47-56%
Poland 26-35%
Germany 20-29%
UK 31-39%
Netherlands 22-30%
Hungary 44-51%
Sweden 11-18%

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Whipling @seanhaines.bsky.social · Jul 9

My favourite part was the eclectic list of people she tagged, asking for engagement.

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