These are the big election-related misinfo themes on Chinese-language social media

People posting are typically influencers who have amassed large followings by peddling conspiracy theories in right-wing circles, the researchers say. They can include users ranging from immigrants who moved to the U.S. because of their opposition to the Chinese Communist Party, but tend to lean far right, to Chinese Christian conservatives. Many consider themselves commentators, and some have hundreds of thousands of followers across platforms like X and YouTube.

Researchers verified that users posting misinformation were real people and not bots, as they also shared other content including lifestyle posts and vlogs. Many of these influencers have live streams in which they interact with fans or others in the same political space.

“Biden steps down, Kamala Harris takes over, without proper justification or legitimacy,” one popular post reads. “The Democratic Party’s true nature as a dictatorial party is now unmistakably exposed.”

Asian Americans make up 6% of all eligible voters. But in some swing states, like Nevada, where they constitute 11% of the population, they could make up the margin of victory. 

“This 2024 election is a very, very close election. … We know how high the stakes are,” said Jinxia Niu, the program manager for CAA’s Chinese digital engagement initiative.

For the report, researchers examined Chinese-language disinformation between June 10, 2023, to July 29, 2024. Out of hundreds of posts that touted misleading or false narratives, they found 228 major pieces of widely circulated, election-related disinformation that amassed a total of over 4 million views.

Researchers defined a “major” piece of disinformation as a post that has accrued at least 2,500 views on one platform before also being shared across other apps.

Misinfo about the election being stolen

The most commonly seen narrative, the report said, touted Trump as a candidate who could “save” the country but was a victim of election fraud.

One post written in Chinese that drew tens of thousands of views on X claims that “since Biden stole the election, there has been global chaos.”

Also proliferating have been posts about the belief that the policies of Biden and his administration are shifting the U.S. closer to communism. The posts link the Democratic Party and its leaders to economic collapse, particularly inflation, and an increase in crime and other “failed” safety policies, the report said.

Cultural trauma feeds into misinfo about political leaders

Student protests, the researchers wrote, have been raised as examples of the Democrats pushing a socialist and communist agenda, the report said. Some posts claim that elite leftist organizations paid students to protest.

While these two narratives about Trump and Biden are also seen in right-wing, English-language disinformation, the report noted that many posts on Chinese-language social media uniquely exploit Chinese immigrants’ cultural trauma and previous experiences in their home country, where political dissent is prohibited. This spring’s student protests in response to the Israel-Gaza conflict, for example, have been compared to China’s Cultural Revolution, a decadelong period of political and social upheaval beginning in the 1960s that resulted in an estimated 500,000 to 2 million deaths.

While Trump is viewed as the antidote to communism, Harris’ ascension to the top of the Democratic ticket has been cast as predetermined and yet another example of Democrats’ authoritarian plan, the report said. 

“This further buttresses their false allegations that the Democrats are a ‘dictatorship,’ who are staging a coup,” the report said of Harris’ campaign. It also said that she’s been the target of sexist and misogynistic terms and dubbed the slur “乌鸡” or “black chicken.” “Chicken,” in Chinese, is a slang term for sex worker.

Misinfo over immigration anxiety

Another major growing narrative is that the Biden administration opened up the border to flood the election with undocumented immigrant voters who support Democrats. Additionally, many posts spread the idea that undocumented immigrants are given an outpouring of incentives to come to the U.S., all at the expense of those who arrived with visas. This largely stems from people’s own immigration trauma, anxiety and journey to the country, Niu said.

“The latest disinformation we’re combating is the idea that undocumented immigrants are getting five-star hotels, they’re getting free health care,” Niu said.

Gregg Orton — national director of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, a nonprofit that spearheads the Asian American Disinformation Table, a coalition that examines misinformation and disinformation affecting Asian Americans — said he’s also seen similar immigration narratives and points to the economy as a major trigger point for Chinese American voters. Differing paths to the U.S. further complicate the reality of immigration for many, he said.

“The ability to provide for one’s family is that central motivator. The anxiety to be able to do that is easy to exploit,” Orton said. “That’s where that scarcity mindset comes from.”

Conspiracy theories around widespread voter fraud and election denial, along with others such as the claim that the assassination attempt on Trump was a ploy orchestrated by the Secret Service, have also taken hold.

The report said that about a quarter of the disinformation was spread through WeChat. Experts have said that while the platform has a feed that includes public posts, disinformation is particularly rampant there in part because of how users can form large, closed groups and post information without being checked or held accountable. These groups are similar to those on Facebook, numbering in the hundreds. Some can be more private and just involve relatives and friends, while others are special interest groups. Chinese government censorship also makes accurate information more difficult to parse.

Why misinfo might be spreading among Chinese-language users

Lately, the report points out, a significant amount of information has also spread through X. This trend comes amid changes to the app’s content moderation policies as well as the reinstatement of previously banned accounts. Other popular platforms for the spread of disinformation include Telegram and YouTube.

Orton said many of these narratives have been percolating across not only the Chinese diaspora, but also across other Asian groups on social media for some time. And these communities are particularly vulnerable, as they often do not feel heard in the U.S.

“It’s easy to understand why some people might gravitate towards these narratives when they feel like they’ve been either left behind or even targeted by the government or by the country that they’re trying to call home,” Orton said.

“What does it mean to vote and to be politically engaged in the public conversation?” Niu said. “They’re still trying to just adopt the new system.”

Orton said it’s now on elected officials to reach out to the communities that do not feel connected. And the report mentions that governments and tech companies should invest more in in-language fact-checking. Journalists, the report notes, should also ensure immigrant communities have access to accurate news and information.

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