The news coverage of China, in general, doesn’t get top billing in the media in N. Macedonia. They are continuously present in various areas and influence the way in which citizens perceive the complex geopolitical relations, especially in terms of global economy and the post-pandemic period.
Occasional phases of increased presence of news on China do appear in local media, depending on current international affairs. It is also evident that, in a large number of cases, the news coverage of China is positive or neutral in tone. The media contents mainly reflect China’s positive economic achievements, the accelerated technological development and innovation, and emphasis is put on China’s importance for global economy and trade. The coverage rarely offers news on sensitive issues, such as the relations between Taiwan and China, the status of the Uyghur minority in China, Chinese positions on the war in Ukraine, etc.
All of the above raises the need for closer and more detailed analysis of Chinese influence in the country, from the viewpoint of media coverage and main sources of information on China used by the media in Macedonia. The theory of so-called “soft power” gains increasingly important place in contemporary analysis of the ways in which the leading geopolitical actors create their global power and influence. Therefore, this research aims to provide a clearer picture of reflections of Chinese influence in the country and the ways in which it is realized.
An analysis of the media and information sector in N. Macedonia and the wider region of Western Balkans show that China emerged as a prominent geopolitical factor before and immediately after the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The major infrastructural projects completed for the games, the innovative buildings and sports facilities had positive influence on the perception of China and her image in N. Macedonia. Also, the launch by the Chinese government of the global infrastructural strategy “Belt and Road” in 2013 strengthened the perception of China as a possible contender and competitor with the leading global powers. These key processes, as well as the Chinese initiative “17+1” for cooperation with Central and Eastern Europe, resulted in growing interest of the whole region of Western Balkans which, with its geostrategic position as a “gateway to EU”, saw in it new opportunities for international cooperation and social development.
Chinese presence in the region intensified over the past decade and the countries of the Balkans joined China’s cooperation platform in 2012. The results of the cooperation differed greatly in different countries – while Serbia established strong ties with China, Albanian leaders demonstrated strong scepticism about economic benefits for their country. The positions of the other countries of the region are placed somewhere between these two extremes.
The available body of analyses and research leads to the conclusion that China, following her own interests, increased the investments in infrastructure, especially transport and energy infrastructure, contributing to increased bilateral trade with the countries of the region. Although China offers favourable funding opportunities, the insufficient transparency of direct investments opens the room for influence on political elites in the region. One of the main narratives of Chinese political and economic representatives in this period was the China had no intention to destabilize the region, but to secure long-term presence and positive influence on development and growth of the countries in the region. Although, on declarative level, it supports the European integrations for the Western Balkans, analyses show that Chinese presence has a negative impact with some governments tending to circumvent the values, rules and procedures of the European Union to facilitate cooperation with Chinese partners.
Parallel to its growing economic presence, China aims to be ever more present and influential with “soft power”, i.e. increased presence in culture, media, on the social networks, etc. Media freedoms, according to experts, are not (yet) under threat, but Chinese propaganda is on the rise all over the region. In the media domain, China uses a number of strategies to influence the narratives – through the presence of Chinese state media, or cooperation with the local media and journalists.
The analysts also believe that the growing economic and “soft” presence of China in the Western Balkans will inevitably lead to growing political influence, and that it is not likely that China will focus on promotion of pluralism, democracy, market economy, as well as freedom of expression, respect for human rights, etc. Analyses note that China is adapting to the implementation of her soft power strategy, increasingly relying on methods similar to those used by the EU and the U.S. The initial goal of China to work with government institutions is gradually expanding to cover other sectors of society, like universities, research institutes, think-tanks, chambers of commerce, and others.
This research aims to provide close analysis of information on China published in the local media, the frequency of publication, scope, main thematic areas they cover, most commonly used sources of information and media contents on China, as well as the key narratives present in the published articles and, of course, any eventual presence of disinformation efforts.
The main subject of the research is the coverage of China in the media in N. Macedonia in all areas relevant to the media, including diplomacy, politics, economy, culture and other relevant topics registered to be pertinent during the period of time covered by this analysis.
The research implemented the methodology of content analysis of thematic excerpt contents using indicators such as keywords and topic of coverage. Furthermore, the analysis included qualitative and quantitative analyses, as well as statistical processing of the acquired data. The survey also relies on analysis of main narratives and discourse framework of the surveyed material, with in-depth analysis of the manner of reporting of given subjects and topics and the manner in which propaganda rhetoric is created in those programmes. Excerpt material included different journalistic formats, such as news reports, analysis, longer reports, investigative stories, opinion articles and columns on the subject of China.
The excerpts from the research material were selected through identification of media articles on China registered in the public online domain in Macedonian language, using publicly accessible software tools, such as news aggregator sites, search applications of individual websites and applications of local media outlets, as well as other available searching tools.
Under the auspices of the survey, we implemented a field research through in-depth expert interviews with specialists, investigators, journalists with competence to speak about Chinese presence and influence, their (in)direct experience with different Chinese entities and other related topics, as well as focus-group discussions with citizens, representatives of CSOs and journalists that report on international affairs.
KEY FINDINGS:
The following are the key findings of the monitoring of media coverage and the general presence of China in Macedonian media:
- China’s presence in the news of Macedonian media is not frequent or continuous, yet, the published content is predominantly positive in tone with non-critical approach. Exceptions to that rule are the news sourced from Western media republished by the national media, which offer critical views of China.
- In Macedonian information sphere, China is usually presented in coverage of political and economic issues, especially in relation to the U.S., Russia and the EU.
- A number of media outlets frequently distribute positive and uncritical contents and coverage of China. The media that most frequently present current information on China in most cases use neutral tone in their reporting, but the monitoring has registered suggestive headlines, ledes and commentary.
- During the monitoring period, the Ambassador of People’s Republic of China to North Macedonia maintained a presence in some of the local media (Faktor.mk, Antropol.mk) as an author of regular columns, with focus primarily on promotion of China’s economic achievements.
- Articles reporting on economy and China are mainly positive in tone. They present information about China’s accelerated economic growth, investments in other countries in the world, the new “Silk Road”, Chinese innovative technologies, etc.
- The news that cite Chinese sources are predominantly non-critical and, in majority of cases, don’t offer comparison with information from other sources (for instance, “The Ambassador of People’s Republic of China to North Macedonia dismissed Western lies about Chinese economic cooperation”, “Pentagon paranoid about Chinese Technology”, etc.).
- Foreign news agencies and wire services, as well as the national information agency MIA are the most commonly used sources of information on China.
- Most frequently used Chinese sources of information are the state news agency Xinhua, China Daily, the CCTV network, Global Times (China), as well as the Russian news agency TASS which also maintains regular presence on the list of sources. The monitoring registered the presence of Western right-wing media (the Heritage Foundation, Fox News, etc.) as sources in reports that present China in positive light.
- Majority of articles on China are not signed by the authors. Only a fraction of the analysed items of content are original articles by local journalists, analysts of experts. The monitoring registered several public personalities that publish pro-Chinese contents. Their positive views on China were published as op-ed articles or as re-publication of posts from their social media profiles and pages.
- Thematically, we registered great frequency of articles on the EU-China tensions related to the situation in automotive industry, as well as on Tik Tok’s operations in the U.S. and EU. Information about positive relations and cooperation between Serbia and China appeared in the news periodically. Only sporadically, the media reported on Chinese investments and influence in African countries. The analysis also registered positive reports about certain specific aspects of China’s system, contrasting them with Western democracies (for example, “This is how China deals with corruption!”, etc.).
Regarding the characteristics of media coverage of China, found by other relevant research projects, the monitoring confirmed the following findings:
- China doesn’t produce disinformation, but her geopolitical positioning through use of “soft power” has a potential to become a source of disinformation and creator of anti-western narratives and influence.
- The media coverage is dominated by information on Chinese investments and economic cooperation between North Macedonia and China.
- A number of domestic media outlets tend to publish larger volume of news and information on China, but this monitoring has no means to determine if there was a case of direct Chinese influence in the form of financing or in the ownership structure of those outlets.
- So far, there were no recorded controversies related to the activities of the Confucius Institutes in the country, unlike other countries in Western and Central Europe.
- The bulk of the contents promoting China are suggested by the Chinese Embassy, through its relations with the media, including the Macedonian Information Agency (MIA), the public broadcasting service MRT, Nova Makedonija and Telma TV.
The key findings from the focus group discussions with citizens:
- The participants in the focus groups noted that Macedonian media should pay greater attention to the coverage of China and other global powers because of their significant influence in the Balkans.
- A note was made that Macedonian media rarely report on global events, creating a void in public information.
- Several participants proposed that N. Macedonia should strengthen economic cooperation with China, emphasizing the fast economic growth of the latter.
- According to the participants in the focus groups, more information about China would help increase the understanding of her global role and potential cooperation with N. Macedonia.
- The media are more focused on coverage of negative topics, such as the pandemics and political conflicts, than on technological and economic advances made by China.
- The increased coverage and information on China in the media would help improve the public perception of that country in N. Macedonia, and promote greater cooperation in the fields of technology, economy and education.
Key findings of the focus group discussions with representatives of civil society and media professionals
- China continues to maintain significant economic influence in N. Macedonia, especially through infrastructural projects and on the social networks.
- Macedonian public bases its opinions on China mostly through economic influence, rather than direct political engagement.
- The focus groups expressed strong skepticism about BRICS being a realistic alternative for N. Macedonia, especially in view of the deep economic ties to the European Union.
- The propaganda promoting BRICS mostly comes from Serbia, Hungary and some pro-Russian factions in Macedonia, but it is not based on real economic facts.
- Macedonian public has limited understanding of BRICS, and large portion of the support it has results from disinformation and unrealistic expectations.
- The potential rapprochement of Turkey and BRICS countries could, in the future, increase the importance of that issue in N. Macedonia.
- For the time being, N. Macedonia maintains strong ties to the European Union, while BRICS is used more as a rhetorical instrument than as some practical alternative.
Key findings from interview with Macedonian specialists in Chinese affairs
- Media coverage of China in N. Macedonia is limited, strongly influenced by Western narratives.
- Macedonian media commonly use Western sources when reporting on China, resulting in predominantly neutral or critical coverage.
- Topics such as Chinese infrastructural projects and BRICS’s initiatives are covered with skepticism, especially regarding possible corruption and geopolitical relations.
- There are positive views of China, but they are rare and are usually related to the idea of multi-polar world in which China and Russia play greater roles.
- The general picture of China presented by Macedonian media is superficial, with insufficient research and analysis of her role as a global player.
- Chinese presence in N. Macedonia in the form of cultural diplomacy, or over the social networks is insignificant, and there is relatively limited interest in China in the public.
- Although there is some interest in political alternatives, such as the BRICS group of countries, North Macedonia maintains strong pro-Western orientation.
Read the full report of the research China in the Macedonian Media: Analysis of Narratives and Influence.
