Foreign Influence Operations: Analysis of the Covid-19 Pandemic in North Macedonia

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ОПЕРАЦИИ ЗА ВЛИЈАНИЕ: АНАЛИЗА НА ПАНДЕМИЈАТА НА КОВИД-19 ВО СЕВЕРНА МАКЕДОНИЈА FOREIGN INFLUENCE OPERATIONS: ANALYSIS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN NORTH MACEDONIA

October 2020

Title: FOREIGN INFLUENCE OPERATIONS: ANALYSIS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN NORTH MACEDONIA

Publisher: ESTIMA – Association for strategy creation, research, education and promotion of international values

Аuthor: Ana Krstinovska

Design: Armarium Grup

Date: October 2020

The publication has been prepared in the framework of the project COVID-19 “infodemic”: fighting disinformation and false narratives

This project was funded through a U.S. Embassy grant. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed herein are those of the implementers/authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Government.

Title: FOREIGN INFLUENCE OPERATIONS: ANALYSIS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN NORTH MACEDONIA Publisher: ESTIMA – Association for strategy creation, research, education and promotion of international values Аuthor: Ana Krstinovska

Design: Armarium Grup

Date: October 2020

The publication has been prepared in the framework of the project COVID-19 “infodemic”: fighting disinformation and false narratives

– “THE PERFECT STORM” FOR SPREADING DISINFORMATION, FALSE – “INFODEMIC” IN THE MACEDONIAN MEDIA SPACE: CASE STUDY OF THE CHINESE

– “THE PERFECT STORM” FOR SPREADING DISINFORMATION, FALSE – A , а , , “INFODEMIC” IN THE MACEDONIAN MEDIA SPACE: CASE STUDY OF THE CHINESE I , COID , , T N M C COID F , , U methodology, three narratives have been identified which represent a “localized” version of the global Chinese narratives related to the origin of the virus, China’s success in , T N M, , C E E, C T C C H, , , C , C I , C through “white” and “grey” propaganda, in N M C , M, C , I – M , , , , C ,

lthough Chinese influence operations in orth acedonia are in emerging stage, one should not underestimate the potential of the Chinese propaganda machinery which possesses great capacity, eperience, financial means, ability to learn and adapt, especially on the long term herefore, it is necessary to undertae coordinated steps to build a comprehensive approach in dealing with foreign influence operations, including strengthening the capacities of institutions, political elites, civil society and media to understand China and its positions enhancing the ability and interest for critical analysis and indepth reporting among ournalists on topics related to the global geopolitical events recognizing media as a critical sector when it comes to concluding agreements and memoranda to establish cooperation with foreign actors and attracting foreign investments strengthening the economic independence from China, especially in sensitive sectors strategic diversification of the import and eport marets for acedonian companies upholding the values which are a state priority and strategic determination– rule of law, democracy, human rights and good governance establishing a unified approach and a national public policy toward China cooperation with other countries from the region which are more “advanced” in their relations with

China and have had the possibility to gain more eperience, draw lessons and develop mechanisms to maimize their own, national interests

lthough the term propaganda dates from the iddle ges propaganda as tactics to eert influence over a determined target audience and promote a certain agenda eisted efore hrist and is eing activel used toda mae even more than ever he reasons should e sought in technological development and the availailit of communication tools the possiilit to transmit messages and spread information at unprecedented levels in terms of uantit and territorial scope lthough propaganda as a form of pulic opinion manipulation has roader application this analysis will focus on state propaganda and the attempts of foreign states to exert influence through the means of information, such as traditional and social media in the Republic of North Macedonia

t present an upward trend can e oserved in the interest and the research activit pertaining to disinformation and false narratives oth worldwide and in orth acedonia ut propaganda as a tool in the service of foreign states and their interests in orth acedonia is a relativel new and underresearched topic in comparison to the other uropean countries and especiall memer states ence this research represents a pioneer attempt to shift the focus toward this phenomenon and stir a pulic deate in order to find solutions to protect national interests and the fundamental values which underpin the acedonian societ

ith regard to the was in which propaganda is used to shape pulic opinion scientists differentiate etween persuasive communication – directed toward reaching a specific goal and facilitative communication – intended to maintain open communication channels and uild a potential audience artin acilitative communication involves creating and investing in media infrastructure for estalishing and maintaining communication contacts that can e used in a given moment and uilding a trusting relationship in order to achieve a certain goal when there is such a need iid

ocial media are particularl convenient for this purpose ecause the allow to attract followers set targets test various messages and otain feedac in order to continuousl perfect the tactics olter iresta n that contet toda propaganda is onl one part of the processes to

he are also nown as information operations

China and have had the possibility to gain more eperience, draw lessons and develop mechanisms to maimize their own, national interests

he are also nown as information operations

influence operations. According to Rand’s definition, they alternative scenarios suggesting that the virus is artificial, brought from the outside or that it existed in other countries before it was detected in uhan (Boxwell, ). Besides that, although China itself asked for discretion from the when receiving medical supplies in uhan in the beginning of the epidemic, China used its own assistance for the most affected countries (particularly taly and pain) in order to promote itself as a supportive and credible partner who helps the uropean countries when the abandons them (RF, ).

“ie ond” which is overt, through state media and actors overtly connected to a third country, and covert or “e ond”, used to spread he methods used by China to achieve its goals resemble a lot of the Russian playbook, although there are important differences. hat both countries, Russia and China have in common are the strict mechanisms for controlling the flow of information in their own information space, while they use the openness and the freedom of expression in other countries to disseminate disinformation and narratives which go in their favor (ea abriele, uoted in ilsinan, ). n both cases there are differences in the goals and narratives targeted toward domestic and foreign audiences. China’s domestic priority is to maintain the stability and government of the Communist Party, which is achieved by promoting the Party as the people’s protector, emphasizing its successes (in contrast to the other countries’ weaknesses), silencing dissenting opinions and building a cult of „For propagandists, every global event is an opportunity to influence people’s perceptions and the leader – in this case i inping. n the communication with a foreign audience, the accent is put behavior“ (Barojan, on China’s status of a responsible global power, the constructive role played by China in other countries and the promotion of Chinese successes in order to showcase the superiority of the Chinese model. his tactics has been initially used by China during the global financial and the uropean even coined the terms “infodemic” to name the extraordinary sovereign debt crisis, when it promoted the closedness of its market as a virtue in contrast to the openness of the market economy in urope and the A as a reason for their vulnerability, and has been perfected since the beginning of the C pandemic. he Chinese narratives are predominantly positive and spread a confident image of China and its superiority. All criticism is the origin of the virus, the manner in which China tackled subject to censorship in the domestic media or is spun to create a perception that other countries the pandemic in comparison to the other countries and the assistance it provided to the rest of the wrongly criticize China and to bring about nationalistic sentiments among Chinese people (ong, world ). Contrary to this, Russian propaganda is not focused on the country’s reputation, but is rather directed toward undermining the opponent’s reputation by spreading confusion, creating anger and frustration, as well as direct interference in foreign states’ internal affairs (iresta et al., ). order to “retell” the story about the origin of the virus and rethink the roles of “heroes” and “villains” Although it has several decades of long traditions, with C the Chinese propaganda becomes more direct, diverse and creative. espite the highly developed network of state media which are present in a number of countries and report in multiple languages, in the past several years China has built significant presence on social media like Facebook and witter. hey are not available on Chinese territory, but are nevertheless used by Chinese diplomats abroad, especially since the beginning of the pandemic. aving analyzed the posts in recent years, many researchers talk about (authoritarian) model and success in dealing with the health crisis, in comparison to the “failure” of a new trend in the Chinese public diplomacy which is shifting from the doctrine of “eeping lo profile

Furthermore, using the fact that the “zero patient” has still not been found, China tried to

alternative scenarios suggesting that the virus is artificial, brought from the outside or that it existed in other countries before it was detected in uhan (Boxwell, ). Besides that, although China itself asked for discretion from the when receiving medical supplies in uhan in the beginning of the epidemic, China used its own assistance for the most affected countries (particularly taly and pain) in order to promote itself as a supportive and credible partner who helps the uropean countries when the abandons them (RF, ).

he methods used by China to achieve its goals resemble a lot of the Russian playbook, although there are important differences. hat both countries, Russia and China have in common are the strict mechanisms for controlling the flow of information in their own information space, while they use the openness and the freedom of expression in other countries to disseminate disinformation and narratives which go in their favor (ea abriele, uoted in ilsinan, ). n both cases there are differences in the goals and narratives targeted toward domestic and foreign audiences. China’s domestic priority is to maintain the stability and government of the Communist Party, which is achieved by promoting the Party as the people’s protector, emphasizing its successes (in contrast to the other countries’ weaknesses), silencing dissenting opinions and building a cult of the leader – in this case i inping. n the communication with a foreign audience, the accent is put on China’s status of a responsible global power, the constructive role played by China in other countries and the promotion of Chinese successes in order to showcase the superiority of the Chinese model.

his tactics has been initially used by China during the global financial and the uropean sovereign debt crisis, when it promoted the closedness of its market as a virtue in contrast to the openness of the market economy in urope and the A as a reason for their vulnerability, and has been perfected since the beginning of the C pandemic. he Chinese narratives are predominantly positive and spread a confident image of China and its superiority. All criticism is subject to censorship in the domestic media or is spun to create a perception that other countries wrongly criticize China and to bring about nationalistic sentiments among Chinese people (ong, ). Contrary to this, Russian propaganda is not focused on the country’s reputation, but is rather directed toward undermining the opponent’s reputation by spreading confusion, creating anger and frustration, as well as direct interference in foreign states’ internal affairs (iresta et al., ).

Although it has several decades of long traditions, with C the Chinese propaganda becomes more direct, diverse and creative. espite the highly developed network of state media which are present in a number of countries and report in multiple languages, in the past several years China has built significant presence on social media like Facebook and witter. hey are not available on Chinese territory, but are nevertheless used by Chinese diplomats abroad, especially since the beginning of the pandemic. aving analyzed the posts in recent years, many researchers talk about a new trend in the Chinese public diplomacy which is shifting from the doctrine of “eeping lo profile

and biding one’s time for the right opportunity” toward a more assertive approach and a socalled “of arrior dipomay“. wo eamples can be used to illustrate this in relation to C the censorship of an open letter signed by the ambassadors to China on the occasion of the th anniversary since the establishment of diplomatic relations before it was published in the Chinese media, because it contained a reference to the Chinese origin of the virus (on der urchard, arigazzi, ) and the pressure to amend the C disinformation report published by the uropean ternal ction ervice which, in its initial version eplicitly mentioned China as one of the actors leading a global disinformation campaign in relation to the pandemic (an orpe et al, ). n that contet, the Chinese propaganda increasingly resembles a more developed and more powerful version of the Russian propaganda (iresta et al., ).

ccording to the nternational ederation of ournalists (), the goals of Chinese influence operations include laying the ground for a more intensive engagement, enhancing China’s discursive power, debunking or minimizing “Western” narratives, especially on topics which are sensitive for China, and influencing the local media ecosystem (im, ergin, ). heir success depends on the government’s responsiveness in a certain country, the importance of the principle of free press (ibid.) and the results of the cooperation with China in various areas. he long term goals include n order to test the validity and applicability of the insights acuired at the global level in the strengthening the influence over domestic political processes in the foreign country, deepening the case of orth acedonia, during the period eptember – October , a case study research was economic dependence on China through the supply chains and direct investments, as well as building conducted and aimed to uncover potential disinformation and false narratives related to COVID- alliances to advocate for and support the Chinese global position, in different international 19 as a result of influence operations in the Macedonian information space he research consisted organizations. of analyzing traditional media, internet portals and social media activity during the period of four months – arch to une , which was considered to be crucial in the fight against the Online influence operations, or the network spreading “white” and “grey” propaganda, is pandemic in orth acedonia or that purpose, a total of diverse media and internet portals complemented by offline activities used to synergetically enhance the influence and information. he were observed documents such actions and classifies them in three categories echange and training schemes targeting ournalists, cooperation between ournalist associations and media content sharing . ational information agencies – , eta, akfa agreements (ibid). hese activities are a part of the Chinese strategy to eert influence over the media . ational televisions – anal , elma, itel ecosystem in order to gain control of the narratives, spread a positive perception about China and . Online television – lobodna disseminate Chinese positions using third, supposedly independent parties – foreign ournalists. . aily newspapers – electronic editions – ecer, ova akedonia . oreign press services in acedonian – adio ree urope, eutsche Welle and oice of

merica . nternet portals of predominantly informative character – , lusinfo . nternet portals with mied contents – epublika, uris, okalno, okaz, nfoma,Okno . nternet portals of predominantly entertaining character – dividi, Offnet

urthermore, social media posts were analyzed on acebook, nstagram, ouube and witter t has to be noted that, according to statistical data for our period of interest, acebook is by far the most widely used and influential social medium in orth acedonia when it comes to the number of clicks, that is the traffic it generates toward eternal pages and sources of information

he internet search resulted in a total of relevant news and articles in the traditional media and internet portals and posts on social media n addition to the contents where disinformation messages could be clearly identified, related contents were singled out as well, contents which

韬光养晦 tao guang yang hui – is a Chinese idiom attributed to eng iaoping which is interpreted in the sense that China should not openly demonstrate its strength in international politics and should achieve most obectives discretely and behind closed doors. olf arrior iplomacy, in analogy to the hero with a same name from the popular action film (站狼 – han he lowest and highest value respectively during the observed period acebook – ,,, nstagram , ang) where the main character sends a message that anyone who offends China will pay a price. , witter – ,,, outube – ,

. . . . . . .

formal analysis analysis of the content Stirling’s thematic network

are roie in orer to eise a comrehensie lic olic aroach towar ighting isinormation alse narraties an oreign roagana

he methoological limitations o the research are relate to the act that the internet search was concte sing langage as criterion ths the meia which lish solel in lanian were not taken into accont he search onl coere contents licl aailable on the media’s internet sites an with oen access leaing ot traitional meia which o not hae an online archie as well as riate gros an osts on social meia oreoer the sotware tools se to anale witter an oe also resente some constraints an or some searches in aceonian langage or the eine erio either i not show an reslts or showe reslts in similar langages Serian ssian etc eertheless earing in min the nmer o anale meia otlets their iewershireaershi the sie o the anale samle o news articles an osts as well as the consistenc o the inings the methoological caeats o not hae the otential to inlence the aliit o the research

he remises resented in the introdtor art on the basis o des reie o international sores ere larel onirmed b the indins rom the media obseration in orth aedonia amel the oriin o the irs the a hina taled the andemi and the sbseent reslts as ell as the assistane it roided to ontries arond the orld inldin orth aedonia are the e narraties oered to the aedonian adiene e mae a roh eneraliation the initial onlsion is that traditional media reort abot these narraties in a rather balaned and moderate a and also resent the ies and oinions o the arties ho do not aree ith hina deeer analsis reeals that dierent media ateories deote dierent amont o attention sae and time to a ertain toi or narratie and there are also dierenes beteen media otlets ithin the same ateor national inormation aenies national teleisions orein series reortin in aedonian et

ion eeiion

he eneral imression abot national teleisions is that the are osed on reortin abot the oriin o the irs here is to a ertain etent balaned reortin abot the asations mostl b the that the irs is o hinese oriin and the hinese resonse as ell as the hinese resal to onene a erit onil meetin ith a stiiation that it is still earl to hae sh a disssion at the international leel hen it omes to handlin the andemi it as reorted that the hinese athorities orbid the bliation o artiles and oinions related to the orona irs ithot rior aroal b the ometent health athorit orth aedonian tations anal and itel reort abot the measres taen b the hinese athorities sorted b a drasti dro in ases in the most aeted hinese roines hih is not so isible in the reortin b elma

ordin to the analsis the narratie abot hinese assistane bein distribted aross the orld is also resent rom the reortin drin the analed eriod eseiall drin arh ril and a the imression is that hile the is in onstant neotiations ho to distribte the eonomi aaes to its member states and andidate ontries hina is shoin its enerosit in ation arond the orld es abot the assistane sent to tal in sanitar and medial slies sort b sendin eert teams aaes o mass and disinetants to the alan ontries inanial aid et rane amon the main nes on the hinese hmanitarian enaement elma has the least hile itel has the broadest oerae o nes abot hinese assistane both orldide and inside the ontr here is also an interie ith the hinese mbassador to disss abot China’s financial aid, as well as the assistance in masks and protective equipment

ion infomion encie f

he analed media in this ro mostl inorm the adiene abot the hinese assistane distribted throhot the orld his alies eseiall to aa ith ot o nes in the obsered eriod reerrin to the eert assistane sent to tal and the ritiism toard taly’s athorities on the imlemented measres material assistane to erbia and the estern alans he remises resented in the introdtor art on the basis o des reie o international including North Macedonia. This is not the case with META which reports in a much more “modest” sores ere larel onirmed b the indins rom the media obseration in orth aedonia a abot the hinese atiities related to the reention o the ontaion and the assistane amel the oriin o the irs the a hina taled the andemi and the sbseent reslts as reeied b orth aedonia in the orm o tests and rotetie eiment eardin the measres ell as the assistane it roided to ontries arond the orld inldin orth aedonia are the to deal with the virus, Makfax reports in a more extensive way. The discourse includes Beijing’s official e narraties oered to the aedonian adiene e mae a roh eneraliation the initial ositions and indignations regarding the criticism on China’s delay in informing the international onlsion is that traditional media reort abot these narraties in a rather balaned and moderate ommnit inldin a satirial ideo hih inoles resident onald rm n both media the a and also resent the ies and oinions o the arties ho do not aree ith hina deeer narratie related to the oriin is nderreresented analsis reeals that dierent media ateories deote dierent amont o attention sae and time to a ertain toi or narratie and there are also dierenes beteen media otlets ithin the same s eeted has the biest antit o reortin eseiall reardin the narraties ateor national inormation aenies national teleisions orein series reortin in abot the oriin and handlin o the andemi and less abot the hinese assistane ts nes and aedonian et artiles are oten shared b other media and internet ortals hat is interestin abot is the translations o artiles rom the orein ress hih are sometimes ell rated analtial stories or

eamle abot the hinese roaanda hih resents onl the ositie asets in handlin the andemi the sess o the art led b i inin and leaes ot the neatie asets sh as the oerl ll hositals and the la o hosital beds bt sometimes loosel ared alleations abot a lobal lot the socalled “Wuhan link” between the USA, China and France) ion eeiion

nine eeiion oodn he eneral imression abot national teleisions is that the are osed on reortin abot the oriin o the irs here is to a ertain etent balaned reortin abot the asations mostl b the that the irs is o hinese oriin and the hinese resonse as ell as the hinese resal his media otlet reorts abot the atiities and stes o the international ommnit to onene a erit onil meetin ith a stiiation that it is still earl to hae sh a reardin the andemi inldin abot hina in a er balaned and rdent manner hat maes disssion at the international leel hen it omes to handlin the andemi it as reorted that this otlet dierent rom the others is the at that the orld nes is resented in a more analtial the hinese athorities orbid the bliation o artiles and oinions related to the orona irs a ith a ertain amont o ersonal insiht b the des editor he narratie abot the oriin is ithot rior aroal b the ometent health athorit orth aedonian tations anal very scarce, while the news are dominated by China’s assistance throughout the world and its eforts and itel reort abot the measres taen b the hinese athorities sorted b a drasti dro in to leae an imression that it deals ith the eidemi in a er sessl a as illstrated b the ases in the most aeted hinese roines hih is not so isible in the reortin b elma hinese resident aearin ithot a mas in some o the hotsots lobodna also resents nes

about Chinese attitudes and its rebuttal of the accusations regarding its untimely information to the international community about the spread of the virus within its borders.

i nee – eeconic ediion ece o edoni

All the narratives in this media category have been presented in a balanced way, with a minor prevalence of the narrative about handling the pandemic. Nova Makedonija reports about China’s remarkable success in the recovery of its tourism industry after the pandemic, as well as the use of drones to prevent the spread of the contagion. Some articles report about the Chinese indignation regarding the accusations of lack of cooperativeness, but also about the Chinese assistance in the form of expert teams and equipment dispatched globally. When it comes to echer, in comparison to Nova Makedonija, it reported less on China and the main identified narratives refer to the origin of the virus, China’s reference to WHO’s reports stating that there is no proof of the virus being produced in a lab, narratives about China’s assistance to other countries, including North Macedonia in this case about ventilators), as well as the Chinese ripostes particularly addressed to the USA by publishing satirical videos mocking the American resident onald Trump.

oein eice in cedonin ne dio ee oe – ece ee – oice of meic –

When analying the findings on the basis of the information and news published in this media outlet category, the research team explicitly concluded that these media services report in a very analytical manner, offer a bigger scope of information, including also the attitude of the journalist or the author. This should not be a surprise when taking into account that the reporting policy of W and A is more analytical and less focused on the mere presentation of facts. The analysis shows that W Chinarelated articles and news are mostly related to the narratives about the origin and assistance, and less about dealing with the pandemic. Unlike other media, when speaking about W, this outlet sticks out by the fact that its articles and news are usually signed by a concrete author. Using intriguing titles, for example “as the abandoned the estern aans during the orona irus risis”, DW provides insights into the intensive assistance coming from China in the countries from our region, including North Macedonia. Moreover, in a series of news, the potential objectives of the Chinese “generosity” are being elaborated, such as its geopolitical positioning, as well as reflections about the EU’s efficiency and mechanisms in the provision of assistance toward its members and candidate countries, bearing in mind that the EU’s assistance is more complicated and slower than China’s. W also reports about the origin of the virus by presenting China’s arguments that it has not been produced in a lab. n terms of handling the pandemic, W authors publish articles regarding China’s motivation to “dominate”, “strengthen its position” and show “ear suess in the strugge”, as well as the conscious spread of disinformation.

The quantity of news about Chinese activities is significantly lower in the A in Macedonian. This service also warns against possible disinformation coming from China regarding the pandemic, by quoting opinions by domestic communication experts. This media outlet predominantly publishes news related to the way China deals with the pandemic and reports about the efficiency of its health

system, the measures and the readiness of the Chinese authorities for an investigation into COD after the pandemic is under control. he amount of news related to the Chinese assistance and the origin of the virus is limited, with only one factual report about a Chinese donation to North Macedonia containing , masks and , tests.

When it comes to E, it is an outlet which extensively reports about Chinese activities in a factual and balanced manner, including in terms of the distribution of all three narratives. With regard to the narrative about handling the pandemic, E was the only outlet to publish news about an alleged private lawsuit by local residents from the Chinese province where the pandemic started against the authorities. However, the news is dominated by the situation regarding the spread of the contagion, its further prevention as a result of the measures in place, as well as the transparency, or lack thereof, by Chinese authorities in the fight against the disease and the global communication. n the news related to the origin of the virus, E writes about the accusations, mostly by the U, against China and its potential coverup, but also about the Chinese response and denial. hey also report in a factual manner about the assistance to North Macedonia, including statements of gratitude by the authorities and a statement by the Chinese mbassador announcing additional assistance for the country.

related news stories alluding to connections with domestic daily politics, while nfomax focuses on the way China dealt with the pandemic with its news about mass testing in the million city of nternet portals eiing, as well as the alleged demands of the Chinese resident to the not to publish information and to postpone the proclamation of a pandemic. t also reports that China has already developed a vaccine, as well as the Chinese allegations that the virus was “imported” to China. ith regard to urir, all three narratives are present, but news about the Chinese “generosity” and its assistance to orth acedonia, Serbia, Albania, taly and the U dominate with a total of With regard to these two portals, although the nature of their work differs, they have in news stories, along with the Chinese appeals to avoid politiation and to demonstrate international common the abundance of news with informative and investigative character, hence were analyed unity in order to prevent the further spread of the virus. okalno mostly focuses on the way China under one category. he intensity of their reporting on the Chinese activities and arguments on tackles the pandemic with reports about the Chinese accusations that uropean froen food exports COD is limited. lusinfo specifically has news pieces, most of which refer to handling the brought them a new epidemic, as well as a new type of virus discovered in some markets which may pandemic, the progress in the search for a vaccine, the big scope of testing and newly opened testing have arrived from the USA or Russia. The most salient titles include Chinese accusations that the US labs in China. There are news items related to China’s rebuttal of the accusations that it makes profit State Secretary Mike Pompeo “lied” about Chinese activities in relation to the virus, that the virus from the pandemic and counteraccusations to the U that they spread false narratives about the was produced in a lab in aryland and the Chinese position that their vaccine will be a global good. origin of the virus. n terms of the assistance, this narrative is present with one news about million tests and thousand ventilators provided to frica, after the frican leaders jointly negotiated lower prices, which suggests that it is not a donation, but a procurement. he nvestigative eporting ab – published one typically factfinding article which had wide distribution and influence. t was a news story produced jointly by a number of investigative journalists from the region who uncovered that a portion of the rapid immunological tests offered in These portals have the smallest freuency of news related to Chinese activities in the North Macedonia, as well as rance, the United ingdom, ndonesia and ussia were not actually observed period. ore specifically, dividi published only one news item about the Chinese decision manufactured in the Netherlands, as it was stated, but in China and with dubious uality. he news to increase funding for by additional million US after the USA suspended their contribution. uickly spread throughout the public and was shared by other media channels in the country and hen it comes to ffnet, they usually publish analyses and interviews related to the international abroad. During that time, there was no reaction noted by the official Chinese representatives in North dynamics and geopolitics through the lens of the corona virus and in relation to all three narratives, Macedonia. without however invoking Chinese official positions. The focus is put on the global influence of the big countries, and all three narratives intertwine in a rather obective manner and without favoring either side. hat sticks out is the news that China officially freed of all the wrongdoing the doctor who alarmed about the corona virus, who died in the beginning of ebruary, and declared that he was a “professional who fought hard and sacrificed himself”.

What this category of portals has in common is that they usually publish news which is not Social media often spotted on traditional media and avoid factual reporting. Most of them report about all the narratives: for example, Republika, although in a modest manner, informs its audience about China’s rebuttal of the criticism related to its late warning about the pandemic, as well as the allegations that The narratives presented in the traditional media are to a certain extent also presented on the virus was produced in a Chinese lab. hey also report about newly opened hospital wards for social media, especially acebook. Such posts are less common on the acebook pages of media and corona patients in Wuhan operated entirely by robots using . his portal also reports on one portals whose internet sites were subect to observation, more common on the pages of other portals particular news story which was not detected in the other outlets, about the erbian oreign Minister and blogs, mostly of tabloid nature and sometimes on individual profiles as well. There is a significant vica Dacic who expressed doubts that the virus could be a part of a special war against China and increase in the presence of conspiracy theories regarding the origin of the virus and its purposeful praised the way China dealt with the pandemic. use – as a weapon against China, as a worldwide conspiracy involving China and the , as a tool for ill ates to implant microchips in all humans etc. To a lesser extent, there are posts which t can be observed that the portal Okno does not report about facts and there are very few emphasize China’s success in handling the pandemic and the assistance it provides to other countries. news about Chinese activities. They report about the “competition” between China and the USA in producing an effective vaccine to the virus. he other news portals are mostly analytical, based on hat is particularly significant for acebook is the prevalence of sensationalist posts and titles articles by renowned philosophers and journalists who elaborate on the implications for the aimed to attract attention and clicks. ost often the posts that are published include fake news, half European economy due to the dependence on China and the pandemic, as well as potential political truths, attempts to manipulate without uoting sources, by taking out of context or by uoting processes which could take place in China after the end of the pandemic. DokaM published only two irrelevant websites and socalled authorities who are either unconfirmed or unknown to the broader

acebook is the only social media in orth Macedonia where direct presence has been noted of Chinese state actors – the Chinese mbassy in Skope and Confucius nstitute. he nstitute has been present on acebook since its founding in , albeit in the beginning with a much smaller number of posts in comparison to today. he page of the mbassy has been created on ovember , amidst the global campaign initiated by the Chinese government for increased presence on foreign social media and more active diplomatic engagement. he opening of a acebook page of the mbassy has been followed by the opening of acebook profiles of Chinese diplomats in the country.

he acebook page of the nstitute has shared only posts regarding Chinese donations in orth Macedonia, while the page of the mbassy features around posts on C. Most of them refer to the Chinese model and success in dealing with the virus, followed by shared statements of official Chinese representatives pertaining to the origin of the virus and responding to the accusations by the S, as well as information about donations. t is interesting to note that there is no information on the acebook page about a donation or procurement of ventilators, although several traditional media relayed statements by orth Macedonian officials that it is being negotiated and epected. esides, posts present the idea by the Chinese President about the creation of a global health community or developing a health component in the framework of the Chinese global elt and oad nitiative, which as a topic has not been found in the traditional media. number of viral links have been shared as well as videos with a great number of views worldwide. Still, the maimum number of interactions per post is limited, with “likes” for a donation or shares of a video where teachers and students from a school in ashington C cheer the Chinese people in its fight with the virus.

public (ie. “aording to a renoned ussian sientist”, “a famous hinese dotor”, “ead iroogist” etc. hose activities do not involve credible media and individuals who have the power to influence the public opinion, nor are there paid posts or viral activity with the potential to create mass dissemination and outreach. he total number of interactions to those posts in general is limited to an audience interested in global conspiracy theories and the comments are often not even related to the actual content of the post. ith a maimum number of interactions likes, comments and shares for the most popular post, the number of reactions for the following posts drops pei ucei bu e ii e ius significantly, a big number of reactions and comments epress disbelief and the last comments do not have any interaction. There is no need for an inde- acebook is the only social media in orth Macedonia where direct presence has been noted pendent investigation until the Dacic: It is not rulled out pandemic is over. of Chinese state actors – the Chinese mbassy in Skope and Confucius nstitute. he nstitute has Нема потреба that the virus is a special од независна been present on acebook since its founding in , albeit in the beginning with a much smaller war against China Дачиќ: не е СЗО нема исклучено истрага додека докази за number of posts in comparison to today. he page of the mbassy has been created on ovember не заврши вирусот да е потеклото на WHO does not have , amidst the global campaign initiated by the Chinese government for increased presence on специјална војна пандемијата вирусот The scientists from evidence on the foreign social media and more active diplomatic engagement. he opening of a acebook page of the против Кина origin of the virus. mbassy has been followed by the opening of acebook profiles of Chinese diplomats in the country. the lab in Wuhan have been trained Вирусот за in the USA and првпат е he acebook page of the nstitute has shared only posts regarding Chinese donations in Мадуро: France. вирусот е регистриран во orth Macedonia, while the page of the mbassy features around posts on C. Most of биолошко Кина, но не се them refer to the Chinese model and success in dealing with the virus, followed by shared statements оружје против знае кадеThe се virus was Maduro: of official Chinese representatives pertaining to the origin of the virus and responding to the Кина SPREADING појавилinitially registered the virus is in China, but it is accusations by the S, as well as information about donations. t is interesting to note that there is a bilogical UNCERTAINTYШИРЕЊЕ not known where no information on the acebook page about a donation or procurement of ventilators, although weapon ABOUTНЕЈАСНОТИИ THE it appeared for the Научниците од Вирусот постоел several traditional media relayed statements by orth Macedonian officials that it is being negotiated against ORIGINОКОЛУ OF (на повеќеfirst time. China. лабораторијата во and epected. esides, posts present the idea by the Chinese President about the creation of a Вухан се обучени ПОТЕКЛОТОTHE VIRUS НА различни места) global health community or developing a health component in the framework of the Chinese global во САД и ВИРУСОТ низ Европа. можеби пред да elt and oad nitiative, which as a topic has not been found in the traditional media. number of Франција The virus existed се појави во Кина viral links have been shared as well as videos with a great number of views worldwide. Still, the (in several different places) throughout The accusations maimum number of interactions per post is limited, with “likes” for a donation or shares of Europe, maybe are a pre-electoral a video where teachers and students from a school in ashington C cheer the Chinese people in its even before it ap- strategy of theОбвинувањата Вирусот е донесен peared in China. fight with the virus. Republicans.се предизборна од американски стратегија на војници кои Републиканците учествувале во Потеклото спортски натпревари Вирусот е на вирусот воThe Вухан virus was во ноемвриbrought by непотребно се произведен во American soldiers who took The origin of the virus is unnec- воена essarily politicised in orderполитизира to за да part in a sports competition in се стигматизира и лабораторија Wuhan in November. stigmatise and denigrate China. The virus was produced in a military оцрни Кина во Мериленд laboratory in Maryland.

s bee eplicil e i e cei ei is e ecie use e ies e i ces e ii e ius sice e beii e e. lu e iiil ii pesee b e iese uiies es ise ub e ius iie i u, sice i s ce i e ccusis i epe ie ipuli e ubes, spe ucei, pe uesis speculis c be ice, i e ise ub iiie cspic eies. e se ie, e lile is bei epe bu e cessip ii b e iese sie – ee i cue sie b e

has been entioned a total of ties hile there is no ention of an istaes or oissions tate context of China’s objections to an international independent investigation regarding the origin Concil nforation ffice n this topic there is also retroactive adjstent of the narratives in the case of the official statistics of deceased people in Wuhan, which has been later revised as a result of “methodological adjustment”, which raises suspicion of manipulation; and in the case of Li Wenliang, one of the first doctors ho tried to arn against the seriosness of the disease and the inadeate reaction of the pblic athorities ho as first pnished and after his death in order to appease the doestic reactions of netiens as proclaied to be a hero edia also report abot lasits regarding the Chinese responsibilit and failre in its response not onl external b the tate of issori bt also private lasits ithin China hat is also rarel entioned is the allegation that Chinese scientists had alread been tased to or on a vaccine in the iddle of anar hile the other contries The Chinese model is the most received initial virs saples at the end of anar successful Кина демонстрира САД го запираат Кина демонстрира одговорност, финансирањето за СЗО, одговорност, Кинескиот модел солидарност и единство, што е погрешен чекор солидарност и единство, е најуспешен наспроти разединетоста The USA suspendsво овој моментWHO – но наспротиChina разединетоста demonstrates respon - и меѓусебното financing,Кина which е конструктивна is a и иsibility, меѓусебното solidarity and unity, критикување на wrong move atќе present, помогне критикувањеin contrast to на the division but China is constructive западнитеand земји mutual criticism and will help of the Western countries

PUTTING FORWARD Во кинеската војска ИСТАКНУВАЊЕ НА Кина е лидер во новите THE CHINESE технологии (5Г) кои ги нема случаи на КИНЕСКИОТ УСПЕХ технологии (5Г)China кои is among ги The Chinese користи максимално коронавирус како ВО СПРАВУВАЊЕТО,SUCCESS IN користи максималноthe most serious vaccine will be во справувањето со резултат на успешна HANDLINGНАСПРОТИ THE во справувањетоcanidates со to dis- public good пандемијата (дронови, примена на мерките VIRUS,ЗАПАДНИТЕ IN CONTRAST ЗЕМЈИ пандемијата cover(дронови, a vacccine ЗАПАДНИТЕ ЗЕМЈИ роботи итн.) TO THE WESTERN COUNTRIES

As a result of the suc- China is a leader in cessful application of the new technologies (5G), measures,Кина there троши are no меѓу 3.200 Кинаwhich е itмеѓу used to the Кина троши меѓу 3.200 Кинеската Кина е меѓу cases ofи corona 140.000 virus САД in долари најсериознитеmaximum in handling и 140.000 САД долари вакцина ќе биде најсериозните the militaryза лекување по кандидатиthe pandemics за (drones, за лекување по глобално јавно кандидати за пациент откривањеrobots на etc.) вакцина пациент добро откривање на вакцина

China spends between USD 3,200 and 140,000 per patient on treatment

– hite aper

has been entioned a total of ties hile there is no ention of an istaes or oissions tate context of China’s objections to an international independent investigation regarding the origin Concil nforation ffice n this topic there is also retroactive adjstent of the narratives in the case of the official statistics of deceased people in Wuhan, which has been later revised as a result of “methodological adjustment”, which raises suspicion of manipulation; and in the case of Li Wenliang, one of the first doctors ho tried to arn against the seriosness of the disease and the inadeate reaction of the pblic athorities ho as first pnished and after his death in order to appease the doestic reactions of netiens as proclaied to be a hero edia also report abot lasits regarding the Chinese responsibilit and failre in its response not onl external b the tate of issori bt also private lasits ithin China hat is also rarel entioned is the allegation that Chinese scientists had alread been tased to or on a vaccine in the iddle of anar hile the other contries received initial virs saples at the end of anar САД го запираат Кина демонстрира финансирањето за СЗО, одговорност, Кинескиот модел солидарност и единство, што е погрешен чекор е најуспешен во овој момент – но наспроти разединетоста Кина е конструктивна и и меѓусебното ќе помогне критикување на западните земји

Во кинеската војска ИСТАКНУВАЊЕ НА Кина е лидер во новите нема случаи на КИНЕСКИОТ УСПЕХ технологии (5Г) кои ги коронавирус како ВО СПРАВУВАЊЕТО, користи максимално резултат на успешна НАСПРОТИ во справувањето со примена на мерките пандемијата (дронови, ЗАПАДНИТЕ ЗЕМЈИ роботи итн.)

Кина троши меѓу 3.200 Кинеската Кина е меѓу и 140.000 САД долари вакцина ќе биде најсериозните за лекување по глобално јавно кандидати за пациент добро откривање на вакцина

– hite aper

emonstrating the hinese solidarit and generosit

Кина донира медицинска опрема (тестови, заштитни маски и одела, China donates medi- респиратори итн.) за cal equipment (tests, повеќе европски земји protective masks The Chinese and suits, ventilators assistance arrives etc.) to a number of on time, without countries in Europe and the world delays and Кинескатаcomplicated помош ДЕМОНСТРИРАЊЕ Кина им помага на Кинеската помош Кина им помага на стигнуваprocedures навремено, DEMONSTRATINGНА КИНЕСКАТА европските земји без доцнење и СОЛИДАРНОСТ И кога ЕУ ги остава на без доцнење и THEСОЛИДАРНОСТ CHINESE И кога ЕУ ги остава на Chinese influence operations in North Macedonia largely follow the world trends and сложени процедури ДАРЕЖЛИВОСТ цедило SOLIDARITY AND narratives hey are usually aimed at the promotion of a positive perception on China as a strong and GENEROSITY responsible global power, emphasis on positive stories and censorship of all the information considered unfavorable or harmful for the Chinese reputation, retroactive adustment of the narratives, as well as dissemination of the Chinese positions and views on various topics hey mostly consist in spreading information published by Chinese media and official Chinese representatives, increased presence in traditional media of Chinese diplomatic representatives in the country, more The EU resorts to China helps the intensive social media activity, promoting contents prepared by Chinese state televisions (“hite self-censorship be- ЕУ се „самоцензурира“ European states поради големата propaganda”), and to a lesser extent unverified and speculative contents from unclear sources, half cause of its great поради големата when the EU зависност од Кина truths and disinformation which support the Chinese narrative “grey propaganda“). dependence on зависност од Кина abandons them China n North Macedonia there is no direct presence of Chinese state media which would publish in the Macedonian language. Thus, the “hite propaganda” is mostly directed through activities in domestic media and on social media Chinese official positions are largely present in national media

where they are usually presented in a balanced way, by parallel presentation of the countering he biggest share of the analed posts on this topic uses vague terminolog which usuall narratives owever, even in some traditional media unclear contents have been detected, or hides the fact that the socalled assistance is freuentl procurement of medical euipment, and not obfuscations uch contents are significantly more present on the internet portals which share donations he fact that the longawaited “donation” of ventilators from China to North Macedonia information without uoting the source and the name of the author, unlike foreign information was planned to be a procurement using EU’s money is not put forward, nor is the link between the services where the articles are usually signed, better developed and supported with arguments he great global demand for medical euipment which brings significant profit to hinese companies presence of “grey propaganda”, which is more typical for social media, at present does not have the he hinese authorities refute the responsibilit for the fault medical euipment and tests arrived potential to lead to a change in the public opinion and usually provokes positive reactions only among from hina on several occasions in the etherlands, pain, osnia and eregovina etc, as well as a marginal portion of social media users who are interested in conspiracy theories against the the allegations that hina is pressuring erman to obtain praise about the hinese assistance, that estern countries it boasts with the assistance provided to the , while it ased for discretion when the provided iven a set of political and geopolitical circumstances, such as the eperience with the assistance to Wuhan, or in other words that it is manipulating with the socalled “poitis of generosity” recognition of aiwan and the cautious foreign policy toward China from then on, the bad eperience orrell, with the highway construction financed by a Chinese loan and built by a Chinese contractor, the perspective for North Macedonia (not) to join the EU in near future, the limited “weight” of the

emonstrating the hinese solidarit and generosit

Кина донира медицинска опрема (тестови, заштитни маски и одела, респиратори итн.) за повеќе европски земји

ДЕМОНСТРИРАЊЕ Кинеската помош Кина им помага на стигнува навремено, НА КИНЕСКАТА европските земји без доцнење и СОЛИДАРНОСТ И кога ЕУ ги остава на Chinese influence operations in North Macedonia largely follow the world trends and сложени процедури ДАРЕЖЛИВОСТ цедило narratives hey are usually aimed at the promotion of a positive perception on China as a strong and responsible global power, emphasis on positive stories and censorship of all the information considered unfavorable or harmful for the Chinese reputation, retroactive adustment of the narratives, as well as dissemination of the Chinese positions and views on various topics hey mostly consist in spreading information published by Chinese media and official Chinese representatives, increased presence in traditional media of Chinese diplomatic representatives in the country, more intensive social media activity, promoting contents prepared by Chinese state televisions (“hite ЕУ се „самоцензурира“ поради големата propaganda”), and to a lesser extent unverified and speculative contents from unclear sources, half зависност од Кина truths and disinformation which support the Chinese narrative “grey propaganda“). n North Macedonia there is no direct presence of Chinese state media which would publish in the Macedonian language. Thus, the “hite propaganda” is mostly directed through activities in domestic media and on social media Chinese official positions are largely present in national media

country at the global scene etc. the Chinese focus at present is not aimed at using persuasive . radual strengthening of the economic independence from China, especially in communication techniues and tools. nstead, for the time being, the Chinese strategy seems to be sensitive sectors such as medical euipment, devices and medications, machinery, lagging behind the global trends, China prefers to maintain low profile on many issues, avoids technology etc. confrontation and carefully chooses occasions when it can score points. . radual strategic diversification of eport and import markets for Macedonian ut, Chinese influence operations in North Macedonia are in a emerging stage and fall within companies. the scope of facilitative communication – establishing and maintaining effective communication channels and target audience. This is supported also by the attempts to influence media . Unambiguous adherence to the values which are both a strategic direction and state representatives using the tactics already identified by the paid trips (training for journalists in priority – rule of law, democracy, good governance, human rights and fundamental China in ), attempts to establish relations between professional associations (visit and meetings freedoms. of the llChina ournalists ssociation which is in fact related to the Communist arty in ), donation of mass (), as well as through the increased activity of Chinese diplomatic . stablishing a unified approach and national China policy which would provide a representatives on traditional media (through interviews, opeds etc.) as well as on social media comprehensive overview and approach to the cooperation in different areas, in (aceboo). order to The “delay” in the development of China’s propaganda tools in North Macedonia, which is a Understand the vulnerability in the cooperation in certain sensitive areas, common characteristic for several countries in the region of outhEast Europe, can be ascribed to resent a consistent attitude by different state actors, China’s current limited interest in these countries, but not to a lac of capacity, tradition or now Reduce the opportunities for Chinese influence in one area by using the how. Unlike Russia, China is a relative newcomer in this region, but its “learning curve” and the dependence on China in another area. capabilities it possesses are in steep ascent. Therefore, a comprehensive approach needs to be . developed in order to protect the plurality of thought as a fundamental value, to prevent the Cooperation with countries from the region which are more “advanced” in their “localization” of false narratives and generally to strengthen the resilience toward foreign relations with China, or in other words have had the possibility to acuire more propaganda. n that sense, simply detecting and removing fae profiles and bots is merely removing eperience in the cooperation, to draw lessons and to develop adeuate the direct and visible symptoms, but does not resolve the root causes. t is necessary to undertae a mechanisms to maimize their own, national interests. series of coordinated steps to change public policies which would include . trengthening the capacities to understand China and its positions among journalists, institutions, and civil society in order to launch an informed public debate and fight disinformation.

. Enhancing the ability and interest for critical analysis and indepth reporting among journalists in relation to global geopolitical events.

. Clear labelling of contents that have been paid, ordered or obtained from third states or state actors in traditional media.

. efining policies and legal solutions which would ensure some ind of professional verification to distinguish between online media and internet portals, in order to increase the transparency and professionalism in reporting, strengthen media’s financial sustainability and reduce the possibility for third countries to exert influence.

. ecogniing media as a critical sector when it comes to concluding agreements, establishing cooperation with foreign actors and attracting foreign investments.

. Further increase of the population’s media literacy through targeted campaigns.

. radual strengthening of the economic independence from China, especially in sensitive sectors such as medical euipment, devices and medications, machinery, technology etc.

. radual strategic diversification of eport and import markets for Macedonian companies.

. Unambiguous adherence to the values which are both a strategic direction and state priority – rule of law, democracy, good governance, human rights and fundamental freedoms.

. stablishing a unified approach and national China policy which would provide a comprehensive overview and approach to the cooperation in different areas, in order to Understand the vulnerability in the cooperation in certain sensitive areas, resent a consistent attitude by different state actors, Reduce the opportunities for Chinese influence in one area by using the dependence on China in another area.

. Cooperation with countries from the region which are more “advanced” in their relations with China, or in other words have had the possibility to acuire more eperience in the cooperation, to draw lessons and to develop adeuate mechanisms to maimize their own, national interests.

 ttridetiring ennifer hemati netors an anayti too for uaitatie researh ondon pp httpsutscutorontocamacdCeadingseadingstetanasisthemespdf  orre osep arch he oronairus pandemi and the ne ord it is reating uropean terna ction ervice httpseeaseuropaeudeegationschinaeu hrvposeporrecoronaviruspandemicandnewworditcreatingen  owe oert pri he bame game the origins of oid and the anatomy of a fae nes story outh hina orning ost httpswwwscmpcommagainespost magaineongreadsarticehowchinasfaenewsmachinerewritinghistor  iresta enee et a Telling China’s Story: The Chinese Communist Party’s Campaign to hape oba arraties tanford nternet servator httpsfsiivesuswest amaonawscomsfspuicsiochinastorwhitepaperfinapdf  uropean Commission une aing disinformation etting the fats right httpseureeuropaeuegacontenturiCC  isinan ath a o hina s anning to in a the ord he tantic httpswwwtheatanticcompoiticsarchivechinadisinformationpropaganda unitedstatesiinping  ing uan eng eruar eroes and iains eiing rafts its narratie on irus outbrea apan imes httpswwwapantimescopnewsasia pacificheroesviainschinanarrativecoronaviruscovidoutrea  im ouisa ergin uia The China Story: Reshaping the World’s Media nternationa ederation of ournaists httpsissuucomifasiapacificdocsifreport thechinastor  asimovic andra pri oba batte of narraties i propaganda about the pandemi hange the ord order uropean estern aans httpseuropeanwesternaanscomgoaatteofnarrativeswi propagandaaoutthepandemicchangethewordorder  artin ohn he ffetieness of nternationa ropaganda merican cadem of oitica and ocia cience vo issue  oter anessa iresta enee une andemis and ropaganda ho hinese state media reates and propagates oronairus narraties arvard enned choo isinformation eview httpsmisinforeviewhsharvardeduarticepandemics propagandahowchinesestatemediacreatesandpropagatesccpcoronavirusnarratives  eedham irst pri ustraia reets hinese eonomi oerion threat amid panned oronairus probe euters httpswwwreuterscomarticeusheath coronavirusaustraiachinaidC  adio rance nternationae pri asuerade or needed aid hina irus hep proes ontentious httpswwwrfifrenwiresmasueradeorneededaidchinavirus hepprovescontentious

 tate Counci nformation ffice une ighting C: China in tion httpennhcgovcnchtm  an orpe imon et a pri China put pressure on to soten oronairus disinormation report oitico httpswwwpoiticoeuarticechinaputpressureoneu tosoftencoronavirusdisinformationreport  on der urchard ans arigai acopo a russels reues its eiing enoy oer ensorship o letter oitico httpswwwpoiticoeuarticerussesreuesits eiingenvoforaowingcensorshipofeuetter  ong rian a o Chinese nationalism is hanging he ipomat httpsthedipomatcomhowchinesenationaismischanging  Здружение на новинарите на Македонија. Август 2017. Претставници на ЗНМ на средба со претставници на Здружението на новинарите на Кина httpsnmorgmpretstavnicinanmnasredasoprets

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