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Ukraine is seeking international support amid growing tension in the Donbas. Photo: Reuters

Ukraine-Russia crisis: foreign embassies seek support on Chinese social media

  • Diplomats from all sides are looking to drum up support on platforms such as Weibo
  • It is not clear how far different countries are able to sway Chinese opinion, but some posts by embassies have attracted thousands of views and comments
Ukraine
Ukraine, Russia and various Western nations have become increasingly active on Chinese social media as they seek to win support for their various positions during the current crisis.
On Tuesday a post by the Ukrainian embassy in Beijing became one of the most-searched topics on the popular Twitter-style platform Weibo.

02:34

Russia’s moves on Ukraine spark protests across Europe

Russia’s moves on Ukraine spark protests across Europe
The post was a translation of Kyiv’s condemnation of Monday’s announcement by Russia that it would recognise Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine as independent entities and attracted 3 million searches and nearly 800,000 likes on Tuesday.

The most liked comment below the embassy’s post – which read “international court hearing opens on Weibo” – attracted more than 14,000 likes.

However, many of the most-liked comments were less sympathetic to Ukraine. One that said “another country that’s being used as a US chess piece. Pathetic” gained over 10,000 likes.

Beijing has so far officially “expressed concern” about the Ukraine crisis but refrained from taking a clear position on the conflict despite previous calls for “understanding of Russia’s reasonable concerns.”

However, Russia, the United States, Britain and France have all also sought to win over millions of Chinese social media users by posting on Weibo – with mixed results.

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The platform is heavily censored, limiting its value as a gauge of public opinion, but with China banning foreign platforms such as Facebook and Twitter it has become seen as increasingly important by foreign embassies, especially on topics that directly concern China.
The Russian embassy pinned a post about Vladimir Putin signing a decree to recognise Donetsk and Luhansk as independent on its page, but it attracted just 26,000 likes.
However, Weibo users appeared more supportive towards Putin than those commenting on a US embassy post containing a message from Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Blinken told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity must be preserved, but Weibo users reacted with comments such as “then you should not stop us from taking Taiwan back”.

A Weibo post by the Ukrainian embassy became one of the most popular topics on the Chinese social network. Photo: Weibo
Before Russia’s announcement that it would sent troops into the Donbas, the Weibo account of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson published an appeal urging Putin not to invade.

The Russian embassy in China responded by calling the comments “absurd”, a comment that attracted more than 1.1 million likes.

However, it is unclear how far such messages reach normal social media users, especially when they concern topics that do not top China’s diplomatic agenda.

China ‘concerned’ over Ukraine crisis, resists US pressure to take sides

In 2020 the Turkish embassy tried to win support from Chinese internet users during the conflict between Armenia and its ally Azerbaijan.

However, despite having 500,000 followers, a post denying Armenian claims that a Turkish fighter had shot down one of its warplanes attracted just 34 comments.

03:13

Russian leader Putin declares Ukraine’s rebel regions Donetsk and Luhansk ‘independent states’

Russian leader Putin declares Ukraine’s rebel regions Donetsk and Luhansk ‘independent states’

Despite its current prominence, the Ukranian embassy’s Weibo account has only attracted 4,000 followers since it was opened in 2014 – and most of its comments only attract single-figure likes or comments.

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