CUS’s report reveals China using media, diplomacy, and social networks across MENA to promote its narratives and hide abuses against Uyghurs.
A new report from the Center for Uyghur Studies (CUS) reveals how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is conducting coordinated propaganda campaigns throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The study highlights Beijing’s use of state media, diplomatic networks, economic leverage, and cultural programs to influence public opinion, suppress criticism of its human rights abuses, and promote narratives favorable to the CCP.
The report shows that China’s strategy is not limited to trade or diplomatic initiatives but is part of a deliberate effort to whitewash its record on mass internment, surveillance, forced labor, and religious repression targeting Uyghur Muslims. Tactics include Arabic-language broadcasts, partnerships with local media outlets, recruitment of regional influencers, coordinated social media campaigns, and the export of surveillance technology. Cultural and educational programs, including the expansion of Confucius Institutes and scholarship schemes, further reinforce these efforts with messaging framed around anti-colonialism, non-interference, and solidarity with the Muslim world.
Case studies in the report indicate that Chinese embassies, state media, and covert online networks often collaborate with Russian and Iranian propaganda outlets. These campaigns are contributing to shrinking space for independent journalism, imposing new “red lines” on coverage of China, and increasing public support for Beijing’s narratives.
“China’s propaganda in the Middle East and North Africa is sophisticated, well-funded, and increasingly effective in shaping perceptions while erasing the truth about the Uyghur Genocide,” said Abdulhakim Idris, Executive Director of CUS. “If atrocities against Uyghur Muslims continue to be ignored in the Muslim world, it will represent not only a diplomatic failure but a profound moral betrayal. Governments, media, and civil society must act to defend truth and justice.”
The report calls for measures to counter CCP influence, including strengthening investigative journalism, expanding media literacy, increasing transparency on social media, and supporting independent media and civil society across MENA. It urges regional governments to uphold justice and solidarity and calls on international partners to coordinate efforts to expose China’s propaganda.
The report, Exposing China’s Propaganda Campaigns in MENA, is available in both Arabic and English.
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