Chinese language authorities hires social media influencers forward of Winter Olympics

The Olympics are virtually tailored for inspirational posts. That is not essentially a very good factor.

Because the 2022 Winter Olympics spin up in and round Beijing, The Guardian reviews that the Chinese language authorities has, through a consulting agency, employed scores of social media influencers in an try and burnish its tarnished status. The UK agency in query is reportedly tasked with selling the content material particularly in america.

The content material in query will allegedly each spotlight Beijing’s historical past and tradition, in addition to emphasize constructive elements of the connection between China and the U.S.

After all, {that a} host nation would use the Olympics as a advertising and marketing alternative is itself not new and even shocking. That is form of what the worldwide sporting occasion is all about, in any case. {That a} nation would possibly rent advertising and marketing corporations to flood social media with seemingly natural content material is price noting, nevertheless.

The social media push comes at a time when the Chinese language authorities is dealing with sustained criticism for its internment of Uyghur Muslims, and a so-called diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics by the officers representing the U.S., Australia, Britain, and Canada.

It additionally comes on the heels of a sport-specific scandal. In November, the Chinese language tennis star Peng Shuai went lacking after publicly accusing a former vice premier of China of sexual assault.

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The hashtag “#whereispengshuai” even trended in response to her disappearance.

We think about any hashtags popping out of China’s social media Winter Olympics sponcon plans might be of a unique type solely.