A recent Le Monde report examines how China is leveraging foreign social media influencers to reshape its global image, with the southwestern megacity of Chongqing at the center of this highly organized effort.
Influencers flock to Chongqing for its visually striking backdrops — dangling from the 56th floor of a skyscraper for dramatic effect, or marveling at a monorail that passes directly through an apartment building. Their videos, filled with exclamations like “China is full of wonders,” flood TikTok and Instagram, reaching a generation that consumes information through short-form content rather than traditional media. For Gen Z audiences, Chongqing’s vertical cityscape and neon-lit nights offer a futuristic novelty that New York simply can no longer provide.
The timing works in China’s favor. America’s global image has taken hits from Capitol Hill riot footage, immigration enforcement controversies, and its stance on Gaza, eroding the moral authority Washington once claimed. Meanwhile, imagery of China’s massive bridges, train stations, and airports is gradually displacing older narratives around Wuhan’s wet market, Uyghur detentions, and Hong Kong crackdowns. A Prague-based China analyst notes that Western governments’ failure to prevent the situation in Gaza has weakened criticism of China while amplifying admiration for its development achievements.
A Politico survey of six European countries found that in four of them — Spain, Italy, Belgium, and Germany — the U.S. is now seen as a greater threat than China. A Pew Research poll meanwhile shows 27% of Americans now hold a favorable view of China, nearly double the figure from 2023.
Le Monde traces this influence campaign back to 2018, when Xi Jinping called for stronger international communication capacity. That same year, the first government-backed “International Communication Center” was established — in Chongqing.
Source: Radio France International, May 24, 2026
https://rfi.my/CjHb