In China, TikTok is another tool for the government to spread its message
Promo video of a Chinese military drill in Hong Kong started making the rounds on patriotic sections of China’s TikTok
TikTok, the viral short video sensation, has its roots in China
In the West, ByteDance-owned TikTok is usually seen as goofy fun for tweens wanting to shoot videos of themselves singing along to their favorite pop stars. In China, things are a little different.
China’s viral king ByteDance is the first major Chinese tech player that made a mark on the world
Douyin still has the silly dance moves, comical skits and stunts. But over the last few years, dozens of state-owned media outlets like People’s Daily and China Daily have created their own accounts. So have government agencies, including police and military outposts, giving them an outlet to directly share their own points of view.
It could even bring up promo videos for the Chinese army and police, such as the one posted by the PLA’s garrison in Hong Kong. Videos of soldiers exercising, running military drills or just generally looking tough are a big part of patriotic Douyin. It’s the part of the social network people turn to for nationalist content, like military videos that play like modern renditions of Rambo movies.