China’s top propaganda official instructed authorities to focus on bolstering confidence in the economy, which has been beset by a raft of challenges.
The remarks underlined the importance Beijing attaches to its image, and how it has increased the scale and the sophistication of its messaging, at home and abroad.
A recent leak of a 2024 call in which a purported state propagandist sought to recruit a Chinese defense analyst provided insight into that shift: The official said he was working with lifestyle influencers in countries including Italy, Japan, and the US, rather than bombastic political pundits. “Credibility is scarce,” an exiled Communist Party critic posted on X, “and the Party is willing to pay for it.”