Covid origins, nationalism, and diasporic heterogeneity: China, Chineseness, and Covid-19

This chapter critically examines both the types and networks of disinformation produced in Sinophone and English languages by a variety of "Chinese" actors and institutions, most notably: state representatives and state-affiliated media of the People's Republic of China; Chinese diasporic media publication, The Epoch Times; and the broader media network associated with Guo Wengui, including GNews. It starts by highlighting two key theories that emerged around Covid-19 in the People's Republic of China (namely the United States military transmission theory and the Fort Detrick lab-leak theory), before showing how this information was spread through multimedia video content. Through interview data, the chapter also highlights how these theories influenced people's perception of Covid-19 in the People's Republic of China, both online and offline. The second section examines how actors and institutions involved in a variety of contradictory political projects attempt to influence how Covid-19 is imagined outside of the People's Republic of China, particularly among the American right and the Chinese diaspora. The chapter highlights how a more nuanced understanding of "China" and "Chineseness" is necessary to properly contextualize these sources of information; how the flattening of China and Chineseness can contribute to disinformation and misinformation; and, how the study of Covid-19 disinformation and misinformation illuminates the contours of ongoing geopolitical rivalries.