What happened
China has been using a new form of information warfare, where it manipulates the interpretation of events rather than spreading false information. A recent example of this is when Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump met and agreed to build a constructive relationship based on respect, fairness, and reciprocity. However, the Chinese translation of reciprocity was interpreted as equal in status or on an equal footing, which differs from Trump's understanding of the term as a mechanism to stop other countries from taking advantage of the US.
This is not an isolated incident, as Japan has also experienced similar Chinese narrative control. In November 2025, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made comments about Japan's role in a Taiwan contingency, which China portrayed as a major break with the status quo. This led to a diplomatic response from the US, with Trump advising Takaichi not to provoke Beijing over Taiwan.
Another example of China's information warfare is the May 2025 India-Pakistan conflict, where Pakistan claimed its Chinese-built J-10Cs had downed several Indian aircraft. The claim gained credibility from photographs taken by Indian villagers and outside analysis, which led to a significant increase in shares of the manufacturer of the J-10. This narrative was then used by Chinese embassies to bolster arms sales, resulting in Indonesia considering the acquisition of Chinese J-10Cs despite having previously signed a deal for French Rafales.
In a separate incident, Azerbaijan sued CNN over a report alleging that Israel had sent troops to Azerbaijan to launch attacks on Iran. Azerbaijan argued that the report, which it claimed was false, had given Iran a valuable instrument to reinforce a narrative that Azerbaijan serves as a platform for Israeli military operations against Iran.
