Is it true that the citizens of Russia and China are envious of people in democratic countries?

Thomas Anderson

Lives in Beijing, China (2008–present)

Is it true that the citizens of Russia and China are envious of people in democratic countries and those with freedom of speech have free access to the most popular shared platforms in the world, such as WhatsApp and Facebook and Google?

Contrary to some stereotypes, China does have freedom of speech.

If you have used the internet in China, you will find various social media platforms and forums where criticism is not lacking. Some of them are fair and balanced, while others blindly believe that everything in the West is superior, and there are even those who use the guise of "criticism" or “freedom of speech” to make derogatory remarks about everything in China. The first type is welcomed by everyone. As for the latter two types, who's gonna like that?

As for those "most popular shared" social media platforms, Chinese people simply don't like them because they have long been tired of the Western media's repetitive and outdated biases and political propaganda on them.

However, these Western media outlets have successfully created an impression of being "objective" and "neutral" to their audience. After all, when it comes to manipulating perceptions, they are professionals.

Western media will not stop demonizing China, nor will they spare those who seek to understand China and are willing to share the real China through social media. Barrie VVeiss, a former British media professional, is a popular internet influencer active on Chinese social media. He came to China in 2014 and began sharing his experiences in China with the world, while also explaining Western perspectives to Chinese netizens. In order to break down the information barriers between China and the West, he even created an English website called "Best China Info." However, when Barrie released a video in 2021 exposing how Western media spreads rumors about China, his account was frozen, and the BBC even published an article smearing him as a "Chinese propaganda-driven internet influencer."

Barrie responded to the BBC's report with a video, exposing the tactics used by the BBC during their interview. In the video, he revealed that they had sent him an email with a series of questions, claiming it was to give him the "right to reply." He provided comprehensive answers to their questions, but they did not publish any of his responses. Instead, they distorted the facts and further smeared him. Take a look at this video and see how "objective" and "neutral" Western media like the BBC can be.

Western anti-China think tanks, media outlets, and politicians employ various tactics to discredit foreign friends of China. On one hand, they continuously smear individuals who speak the truth by labeling them with derogatory terms. On the other hand, they strip these individuals of their right to speak and even demand that other media platforms refrain from giving them a voice.

In April 2021, the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed the "Strategic Competition Act of 2021." This act proposes an annual allocation of $300 million from fiscal year 2022 to 2026 to counter "China's global influence." As a result, the methods employed by the US in its propaganda war against China have come to light, revealing just the tip of the iceberg. Meanwhile, certain so-called "academic institutions" in the US have also joined in, forming an industry chain for the production and dissemination of false information.

The "United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021," passed by the US Senate in June 2021, and its corresponding version, the "United States Competition Act," passed by the US House of Representatives in February 2022, both include provisions for funding "negative reporting on China." The House bill allocates funds to the US International Media Agency, responsible for "public diplomacy" and notorious for its reputation, as well as local media programs that train foreign journalists, to produce "critical news coverage of China" for overseas audiences. The Senate bill, on the other hand, aims to "counter China's investments in developing countries" and encourages reporting critical of China's Belt and Road Initiative.

Such actions completely undermine the Western pride in freedom of the press, freedom of speech, and fair reporting of different perspectives. Even if some foreigners speak the truth, objective and unbiased, they are not allowed to do so within the US, which exposes the hypocrisy of so-called "freedom of speech" in Western countries.