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OPINION MAY 27, 2022 | The Indian Eye 10

Chinese News Media

Narratives on the

Ukraine-Russia Crisis

The Russian military intervention though challenged the Chinese narrative of the Western countries being the prime
aggressors. The Chinese media has peddled the dual narrative of vilifying the West and glorifying China’s supposed
mediatory role in the crisis, even as the war continues to rage in Ukraine. The Chinese media’s coverage of the crisis has been
less about Ukraine and Russia and more about China and the West

MAYURI BANERJEE Russia–Ukraine tensions. ‘The West is Lying and conflict in the region. An article
They highlighted the purported and is Divided’ in the Xinhua News Agency charged
rior to Russia’s military in- divergences within major Western that the US supply of weapons to
vasion of Ukraine, Western powers as a reflection of these coun- Categorizing US warnings of Ukraine under the pretext of Russian
Pmedia outlets reported that tries’ unitary pursuit of geopolitical possibility of Russian invasion of invasion was aggravating tensions be-
the Chinese government circulated goals. Secondly, there was a marked Ukraine as “hype” and “propagan- tween the two countries. It described
guidelines to Chinese news media eulogization of China’s supposed da”, Chinese news media charged NATO’s deployments to Eastern Eu-
agencies explicitly forbidding publi- role as a force for stability in interna- the US of falsely exaggerating the rope in response to Russia’s military
cation of anti-Russia or pro-Western tional politics. risk of war and perpetrating tension exercises as aggressive and warned
content. the US not to ‘play with fire’.
The guidelines required these In the aftermath of the telephon-
agencies to use only those hashtags ic conversation between Chinese
approved by the three state news Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US
organizations—People’s Daily, Secretary of State Antony Blinken on
Xinhua News Agency and the state 27 January 2022, CGTN accused the
broadcaster, CCTV. A review of Biden administration of causing pan-
news reports in Chinese mainstream ic and instigating conflict between
media like People’s Daily, CGTN, Russia and Ukraine. An Editorial
CCTV, Xinhua, People’s Liberation in CGTN stated that Russia made
Army Daily and China News Service no military threat to Ukraine and
gives a sense of pro-Russian report- instead accused the US and NATO
age. of nibbling at Ukrainian territory to
In the initial phase of Russia’s antagonize Russia.
military build-up near the Ukraine Several reports titled “West-
border, Chinese news media focused ern politicians amplify the idea that
primarily on projecting Western in- Russia is about to ‘invade’ Ukraine”,
terventionist approach and system of “The United States continues to in-
military alliances as the cause of the Continued at next page... >>

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