Unverified Information Disseminated on Chinese Social Media Causes Doubts about the Stability of the US-China Trade Agreement
In the midst of a temporary trade truce between the United States and China in May 2025, a deluge of misinformation has proliferated on social media platforms, including Douyin and Weibo, casting doubt on the fragile detente.
Prominent among these misleading narratives are claims of Americans hoarding Chinese goods and purchasing supplies in bulk, a fabrication spread by Chinese state media and social media users. This false information has instigated confusion and fueled anti-American sentiment.
According to disinformation security firm Cyabra, an anti-U.S. influence campaign on social media was underway, involving thousands of fake accounts that targeted global brands, amplifying unfounded narratives about underhanded marketing strategies supposedly linked to the trade war.
Chinese state media, such as China Daily, has been identified as a significant contributor to this misinformation campaign. Sensationalized headlines, such as "Americans are starting to stock up like crazy amid tariffs," run by official outlets have served to reinforce these falsities.
Moreover, these misleading narratives have been strategically employed to project the U.S. as economically unstable and desperate, potentially bolstering China's negotiating position during ongoing trade talks, according to experts like Andrew Mertha from Johns Hopkins University.
Additionally, a coordinated influence campaign involving fake social media accounts has been found to amplify these deceptive narratives, including claims about counterfeit luxury goods in the context of the trade war. This widespread misinformation during the trade truce has sowed confusion and may have jeopardized diplomatic progress by creating distrust and hostility between the two nations at a critical juncture.
In essence, the evidence points to Chinese state media spreading false information about the U.S. during the trade truce, employing methods such as recycled misleading video footage, distorted reporting by official outlets, coordinated social media campaigns with fake accounts, and the strategic promotion of anti-American narratives to sway public opinion and strengthen China's negotiating leverage in trade negotiations.
- The misinformation on social media platforms like Douyin and Weibo, casting doubt on the trade truce between the US and China, includes false advertising claims about Americans hoarding Chinese goods.
- In the trade war, Chinese state media, such as China Daily, has allegedly been involved in a misinformation campaign on social media, targeting global brands with unfounded marketing narratives.
- Political pundits like Andrew Mertha from Johns Hopkins University suggest that the misinformation campaign aims to portray the US as economically unstable and desperate during ongoing policy-and-legislation discussions, possibly bolstering China's political negotiations.
- Alongside misleading narratives about the trade war, social media campaigns have surfaced, amplifying false information about counterfeit luxury goods, potentially damaging the branding of affected firms.
- general-news reports indicate that during the trade truce, there has been a coordinated effort involving fake social media accounts to spread misinformation, fueling anti-American sentiment and sowing confusion.
- War-and-conflicts between nations often have repercussions for the media landscape, and this instance demonstrates the potential for social media to be used as a tool for disinformation and policy manipulation during delicate periods of negotiation.
