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[The article links to several social media accounts as examples for Chinese propaganda.]

Behind seemingly harmless videos of young Chinese women speaking fluent Greek, sharing everyday moments, cultural stories and cheerful messages about China, a more complex influence operation appears to be taking shape.

A network of Greek-language social media accounts, some officially labelled by Meta as China state-controlled media, has built a significant audience in Greece and Cyprus through polished lifestyle content, paid promotion and a carefully cultivated image of authenticity — while maintaining links to Chinese state media and amplifying narratives favourable to Beijing.

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In the case of China, propaganda on social media platforms such as Facebook often does not appear as political or state-driven communication. Instead, it is channelled through female influencers who show entirely everyday and seemingly authentic moments. One key element is what is known as “role concealment.” Many of these content creators present themselves as travel vloggers, food bloggers, or people simply showing their life in China.

However, in several cases, it has been revealed that they are linked to, or cooperate with Chinese state media. Their content is mainly lifestyle-oriented, but it follows a consistent direction: presenting China in a positive light while avoiding or countering criticism on issues such as human rights.

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The fact that these are often female influencers is not accidental. This particular style of communication is “softer,” more personal, and aims to build trust. Through everyday moments, an emotional tone, and direct contact with the audience, a sense of familiarity is created. Within this framework, even political messages can be easily conveyed and with less resistance.

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This is a more modern form of propaganda, in which state narratives are not conveyed directly by official outlets, but are “dressed up” as personal stories and experiences from people who appear independent and authentic. In reality, they are often employees of state media outlets such as CGTN, Xinhua, and China Radio International.

As an example, two Facebook pages targeting a Greek-speaking audience carry Meta’s official label for “China state-controlled media”. This means that “Meta has labelled this publisher as state-controlled media because it believes that it may be partially or wholly under the editorial control of the state. The assessment is based on various factors, such as funding, organisational structure, and journalistic standards”.

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China has created an extensive network of “influencers” on social media platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, where journalists and employees of state media outlets such as CGTN, Xinhua, and China Radio International present themselves as independent travel bloggers, lifestyle vloggers, and “life bloggers.” The AP identified, in 2022, dozens of such accounts operating in 38 languages and collectively having more than 10 million followers.

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These influencers build trust as “friends” with excellent knowledge of the local language. They avoid discussion with critics and interact only with positive comments. Microsoft Threat Analysis Center stresses that this tactic is more effective than traditional propaganda because it reaches the audience first, uses “authentic” voices, makes rebuttal harder because it spreads propaganda indirectly, and exploits platforms that often struggle to detect this kind of “grey” content. The two specific reports can be found on the Miburo website, here and here.

Sometimes, these individuals adopt a more serious way of interacting with their audience, for example when they want to comment on geopolitical issues such as American positions on the port of Piraeus in Greece and the control exercised on it by COSCO, the biggest Chinese state-owned shipowner.

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[Social media profiles also advertise] content portraying a highly positive image of life in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. However, there are many reports of serious human rights violations by China in this region, something the profile ignores, as well as reports of attempts to whitewash life and culture in the region.

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