On Saturday, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched missile and drone attacks against Israel. Major world powers condemned Iran’s attacks, but China only expressed “deep concern” over the escalating situation, without condemning Iran directly.
On Chinese social media, many netizens continued to express anger towards Israel and support for Iran. A Weibo post claiming “99% of Iran’s missiles and drones were intercepted” gained over 70 million views. Under a CCTV News Weibo post about the attacks, most comments opposed Israel, with some expressing doubts about the reported low numbers of casualties.
Many netizens directly expressed fury towards Israel and support for Iran. One commented “This proves that Iran is kind, humanitarian and conscientious.” Another post about Iran’s first-ever direct attack on Israel also gained over 100 million views. Comments under a Xinhua News post about the U.S. reaffirming support for Israel were overwhelmingly “anti-American” and “anti-Israel.” One user said “Keep attacking, the Chinese people support Iran.”
On less censored platforms like NetEase News, some netizens held “non-mainstream” views. One supported Israel, saying “Israel, keep winning every Middle East war! Destroy the false prophets!” Others took a neutral stance, with one saying “As China navigates global turmoil, it must focus on self-development and strengthening itself to withstand any potential crisis.”
Source: Voice of America, April 14, 2024
https://www.voachinese.com/a/china-iran-israel-attack-20240414/7569323.html