China shuts down 153 social media accounts for carrying fake nationalistic content

Accounts featured articles claiming countries neighbouring China wanted to be reunited with the motherland. ‘These hyped up and sensationalised articles filled with narrow-minded nationalism are extremely misleading,’ People’s Daily says. — SCMP

Chinese authorities have deleted more than 150 social media accounts carrying articles suggesting some neighbouring countries long to be reunited with China, in the latest sign that the nationalistic sentiment driven by the coronavirus outbreak is getting stronger.

The articles, which said countries like Kazakhstan and Vietnam, as well as parts of other nations, like the state of Manipur in India, were looking to return to China, prompted a number of official investigations, while state media described them as “fabricated and misleading”, harmful to China’s national interests and the cause of unnecessary diplomatic friction.