Here is the study in English: Russian Voice in the Chinese Information Space: The Case of Poland (pdf)

Here is the study in Polish: Rosyjski głos za Wielkim Murem: współpraca rosyjsko-chińska na przykładzie narracji dotyczących Polski (pdf)

Russian propaganda and disinformation content is part of the Chinese information message. Some of them reach Chinese audiences as direct translations of Russian materials, while others are taken over and amplified by local channels, an investigation by the Disinformation Analysis Centre at the National Research Institute of Poland (NASK) finds.

Russian and Chinese disinformation campaigns "are united by a broader, anti-Western narrative that serves the interests of both Moscow and Beijing," the report says.

Focusing on narratives related to Poland, NASK finds that the Russian message does not appear in the Chinese infosphere by accident. The report identified hundreds of Chinese materials concerning Poland that literally reproduced Russian propaganda and disinformation.

In China's tightly controlled information space, such content can function because it is consistent with the broader narrative of the authorities in Beijing. Russia and China have their own interests, but in this case they share a common denominator – an anti-Western message – says Patrycja Krzyśpiak, author of the report and expert at the NASK Disinformation Analysis Centre.

In the analysed materials, the experts identified four main narratives concerning Poland. They portray our country as pursuing a confrontational and aggressive foreign policy and striving for militarisation in the face of war in Europe. At the same time, NATO is blamed for conflicts and tensions, and the European Union is portrayed as politically and socially unstable. The most prominent message was about Poland's allegedly aggressive foreign policy, often combined with an anti-NATO narrative and accusations of Poles being Russophobic.

Almost 1,000 materials and eight months of monitoring

For eight months – from 7 January to 31 August 2025 – NASK experts monitored more than 25 Chinese media channels, including Xinhua, CCTV, Baidu, Sina and Weibo. They identified 966 materials concerning Poland that contained content identical or almost identical to Russian propaganda and disinformation. The largest number, 523, appeared on Weibo, and 255 on the Sina platform. Patrycja Krzyśpiak, the author of the study, points out that the actual scale of the phenomenon may be much larger. The scope of the study was affected by both limited access to the Chinese Internet and the lack of transparent data on published content.

The report shows that Russian narratives are not only replicated in the Chinese infosphere – they are part of a broader anti-Western message and are used to achieve Beijing's own information goals. It is also worth noting China's growing technological capabilities in conducting influence operations, which are being carried out in Poland, among other places.

The author of the report indicates that the response to these threats should be not only fact-checking and refuting false and manipulative messages, but also media education, increasing the awareness of recipients and closer cooperation between experts dealing with foreign manipulation and interference in the information environment.

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Examples of Russian narratives in the Sinosphere

• “Poland adopts confrontational and aggressive foreign policy"

The dominant Poland-related narrative in the Sinosphere, which is fully consistent with Russian propaganda, is that of Poland’s alleged confrontational and aggressive foreign policy. It is often combined with an anti-NATO narrative and a narrative of alleged russophobia among Poles ...

In Chinese social media ... propaganda and disinformation materials primarily emphasize Poland’s aggressive stance toward neighboring countries and Russia – often with identical messages also directed at the Baltic states (Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia). They are cited as warmongers, and in Poland’s case, quasi-historical materials are also published to prove its aggressive stance toward neighboring countries ...

• “NATO is to blame for the unrest in Eastern Europe and other conflicts”

The narrative of Poland’s alleged confrontational and aggressive foreign policy is closely linked to a broader anti-NATO messaging. The starting point for this narrative is the factually incorrect assumption, intensively promoted by Russia and China, that NATO, under the leadership of the United States, is responsible for the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.

Undermining the position and capabilities of the Transatlantic Alliance is one of the Kremlin’s overarching propaganda narratives, which also has a strong presence in the Sinosphere. China actively seeks to create a new world order based on organizations subordinate to itself, as evidenced by initiatives such as BRICS, the Belt and Road Initiative, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. This is directly related to competition with the United States in the technological and military arenas ...

• “Poland is pursuing militarisation as the war threat looms over Europe”

The narrative of the imminent threat of a full-scale war in Europe is persistent in the Chinese information space. It aligns with Russian propaganda, which aims to incite fear of conflict – intended to radicalize anti-war, anti-Ukrainian ... sentiments, and is visible, among others, in some far-right circles, which advocate for improved relations with Russia.

Part of this narrative is the message of Poland’s accelerating and irrational militarization. The Polish government’s plans to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP are portrayed as a push for confrontation and a path to war from which there is no return. Chinese media meticulously report on European countries’ efforts to improve the continent’s defense capabilities, portraying them as excessive “militarization." ...

• “European Union is politically and socially unstable”

Another narrative in which the Chinese message fully aligns with Russian propaganda is that of Europe’s political, economic, social, and cultural collapse. Its core revolves around anti-EU messages, which in most cases are identical to Russian propaganda and disinformation content that penetrates the European information sphere through radical, far-right channels, those sympathizing with conspiracy theories, or those identifying as anti-establishment ...

Issues of migration and civil liberties are an integral part of anti-EU narrative. As in the Russian media environment, the Sinosphere spreads a message that migrants are responsible for Europe’s social and economic problems. This narrative is strongly linked to the promotion of xenophobic and racist messages, as well as those targeting LGBTQ+ issues, which both Russian and Chinese propaganda present as one of the reasons for the alleged fall of Europe ...

The Chinese information space is characterized by a lack of in-depth discussion of political pluralism, typical of authoritarian countries. Democratic processes such as presidential or parliamentary elections are generally discussed in a rather circumspect manner, and official announcements generally present only an ideological outline of the main parties or candidates. Social media is increasingly featuring materials related to this topic, but they also tend to focus on presenting the possibility of “choice” as synonymous with chaos and instability.

This does not mean, however, that China doesn’t attempt to exploit the image of specific parties or politicians to bolster its own propaganda narrrative. Here, too, there is a clear overlap in content with the Russian message.

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A common and potentially dangerous misconception is that anything created and published in Chinese media support only the Chinese Communist Party's domestic interests and poses no information risks in other regions of the world ... It is important to note that Chinese government-controlled media is active in almost every region of the world, including in European countries. They have editions in various languages, aiming to reach the widest possible audience.

In Poland, China Media Group's media channels, CGTN, and Chinese Radio International (CRI), are active and publish in Polish, employing both Polish-speaking Chinese and Poles [in the linked study also shows a diagram and explains what it's called the 'information laundering' process by the Chinese government and the Russia].

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