Chinese State Media Expands Partnerships With Kenyan Media, Dominates Local Kenya-China Coverage

China-Kenya relations have weathered a tumultuous 12 months. Anti-China protests, Chinese language hacking allegations, and billions of {dollars} of debt owed to China have strained Kenyan public opinion. With the intention to deal with the issue, Chinese language media and diplomatic officers spent their summer season securing media cooperation agreements with their Kenyan counterparts, profiting from the sixtieth anniversary of China-Kenya diplomatic relations and the tenth anniversary of the Belt and Street Initiative (BRI). Within the months that adopted, there was a big rise in Chinese language state-media content material in a number of distinguished Kenyan media retailers, which reveals largely optimistic, uncritical protection of China and its relations with Kenya.

This week, Xinhua’s Sub-Saharan Africa Bureau Chief in Nairobi Lee Xin visited the state-owned Kenya Information Company (KNA). Noting the “essential stage” of collaborations between each state information companies, KNA’s Joseph Kamolo described how Xin inspired KNA to “construct the picture of China in Kenya and around the globe”:

Xin stated this when the New Director of Info, who can be Head Kenya Information Company, Mr. Joseph Kipkoech, led a group of officers drawn from the division on an off-the-cuff familiarisation tour on the Chinese language Xinhua Information Company Sub-Saharan Africa Bureau in Nairobi on Saturday.

The Chinese language Xinhua Information Company prolonged an invite to their Kenyan counterpart, KNA, to spearhead countering pretend information and propaganda by reporting information primarily based on analysis to construct a real picture of the 2 nations that had been victims of western colonial masters.

[…] The partnerships and collaborations between the 2 state information companies are at a vital stage when ultimate touches are underway to resume the agreements for information and knowledge exchanges forward of President William Ruto’s go to to China earlier than the tip of the 12 months. [Source]

Over the previous few years, KNA has written a rising variety of articles about China. In response to a seek for articles on its web site that explicitly point out “China” of their title, there are solely two articles from 2021, three from 2022, and eight from 2023, up to now. Amongst these eight, one appeared in February and one in June, adopted by three in August, two in September, and one in early October. These written since August are about Chinese language scholarships for lecturers and tutors from East Africa, and financial, academic, safety, and media partnerships. One other article touts the disclosing of the brand new Swahili version of Xi Jinping’s ebook, “The Governance of China.” 

The state-owned Kenya Broadcasting Company (KBC) has proven an much more marked shift in direction of Chinese language state-media content material. A seek for articles on its web site that point out “China” of their title reveals an growing variety of items authored by Chinese language state media (versus in-house journalists) over the previous 4 months. CGTN and Xinhua have gone from authoring zero articles in June to authoring a complete of 14 articles in September. (Among the many three articles printed in October up to now, two are credited to CGTN and one to Xinhua.) Throughout that very same interval, KBC’s in-house bylines on China-focused articles dropped from 16 to 5. 

Nearly all the articles below these bylines current a optimistic picture of China. CGTN and Xinhua touted China’s dedication to peace and friendship, and even the KBC articles syndicated from the BBC targeted on extra upbeat protection, similar to this one concerning the Chinese language economic system. Among the many bylines by KBC’s in-house workers, correspondent Eric Biegon has written copiously for China Radio Worldwide and was affiliated with the China-Africa Press Centre, which sponsors African journalists on coaching applications in China. His articles have a tendency to explain Chinese language engagement with Kenya by a optimistic lens. Different native bylines have critiqued the West whereas praising China. One KBC contributor, Stephen Ndegwa, can be a prolific contributor to CGTN.

The favored Kenyan radio station and information website Capital FM has displayed the same transformation in its China protection. A seek for articles on its web site that point out “China” of their title reveals that the Chinese language state-media retailers China Each day, CGTN, and Xinhua authored a complete of 5 articles in June, and 33 articles in September. (On the time of writing, 5 out of the six articles printed in October are by China Each day, and the sixth is from a contributor who praises the BRI.) In the meantime, in-house workers authored solely 4 articles in September, and bylines by AFP and different companies hit zero in September after remaining beneath three articles in the course of the different months.

The CGTN and KBC contributor Stephen Ndegwa additionally wrote 5 articles for Capital FM throughout this time. One other Capital FM writer, Adhere Cavince, has additionally written for quite a few Chinese language state-media retailers. The Capital FM articles by each of those contributors paint China in a really optimistic gentle. Different articles by Capital FM in-house workers provided effusive reward for Chinese language scholarships and investments.

Kenyan outlet The Star has additionally been producing extremely flattering content material about China, in correlation with official Chinese language media-related partnerships. Two weeks in the past, The Star introduced that one among its editors was chosen for the inaugural Kenya Editors Guild-Chinese language Embassy editorial fellowship. In August, The Star wrote that one other one among its journalists was collaborating in a four-month media change program in China run by the China Worldwide Press Communication Heart. Since then, that journalist has written flattering, uncritical articles about China: one appeared below the headline, “Setting the file straight: Unfavourable perceptions by West alarm China envoys.” A few of his articles additionally rely closely on Xinhua photographs, or photographs whose supply merely reads “HANDOUT.”

Over the previous two months alone, quite a few contributors to Chinese language state media have written op-eds for The Star: there have been 9 from Stephen Ndegwa, one from Adhere Cavince, and one from Dennis Munene. The latter argued final 12 months in China Each day that Chinese language coaching applications for African journalists can serve to counter Western “pretend information” about China. Chinese language Ambassador to Kenya Zhou Pingjian additionally authored two opinion items for The Star. Not one of the China-related opinion items or columns in The Star throughout that point contained any criticism of China.

In Kenya’s Each day Nation, the one op-eds about China over the previous two weeks had been printed by a few of these Chinese language state-media contributors. Adhere Cavince extolled the advantages of the BRI and referred to as on Kenya and China to “forge a brand new entrance in growth cooperation.” Dennis Munene urged Kenyan President William Ruto to align his agenda with the BRI and “embrace the facility of partnership” with China. Ambassador Zhou Pingjian listed China’s growth accomplishments and promised “win-win cooperation” for the China-Kenya partnership. (Two weeks prior, Ambassador Zhou was given one other op-ed within the Each day Nation that glorified China-Africa cooperation.) 

The Chinese language embassy in Kenya has additionally had a current uptick in engagement with native media. Its web site boasts that Ambassador Zhou positioned an similar op-ed in KBC, Capital FM, The Star, and the Each day Nation on September 28, and one other one in The Star and the Each day Nation on September 12. The newest opinion piece earlier than that, in response to the embassy web site, was printed again in September 2022. 

This surge in Chinese language government- and state-media content material in Kenyan media could have been motivated by rising Kenya-China tensions over the previous 12 months. In March, a whole bunch of Kenyans protested in opposition to a Chinese language-owned store in Nairobi that they alleged undercut native companies by promoting low cost “pretend items,” as a part of what they described as a broader “China invasion.” In Could, Reuters reported {that a} Chinese language state-linked hacking group generally known as “BackdoorDiplomacy” had hacked into a number of ministries of the Kenyan authorities. Kenya’s ballooning exterior public debt, roughly 17 % of which is owed to Chinese language collectors, has not too long ago compelled President Ruto to boost taxes to keep away from default. None of those points has improved Kenyan public opinion of China. 

Chinese language expats have additionally complained. Earlier this 12 months, Han Zhen on the China-International South Challenge translated a submit from common Africa-based WeChat content material creator Nie Shaorui (聂少锐), who argued that Chinese language residents in Kenya have gotten scapegoats for these points and urged Chinese language media in Africa to help them by “amplifying [Chinese] views”:

In the end, our nation will not be but highly effective sufficient, and we nonetheless lack affect in Africa. We face varied forces suppressing and defaming us. […] It’s essential for authorities to reinforce their publicity and undertake the appropriate angle, somewhat than always in search of to appease others. Efficient communication and dialogue are important. Chinese language media organizations stationed in Africa ought to fulfill their position by amplifying our views and opinions. [Source]

Maybe in an effort to management the state of affairs, Chinese language actors started a flurry of diplomatic and media engagement with their Kenyan counterparts over the summer season. On July 9, Ambassador Zhou met with the Kenya Editors Affiliation (“one of the consultant and influential media trade associations” in Kenya, in response to a readout by the Chinese language embassy). In attendance had been the heads of the Africa sections of Xinhua and China Media Group. Zhou stated that he “hoped that the 2 sides will strengthen exchanges and communication and create a pleasant public opinion ambiance favorable to China-Kenya cooperation,” and mentioned data sharing, personnel coaching, and institutional exchanges. On July 22, President Ruto additionally met with China’s chief diplomat Wang Yi and agreed to deepen their nations’ cooperation and exchanges in a lot of domains.

Extra initiatives adopted in August. On August 14, the Swahili model of Quantity Certainly one of “The Governance of China” by Xi Jinping was launched at a seminar in Nairobi. The identical day, the China-Kenya movie competition was launched within the presence of Chinese language and Kenyan authorities ministers. On August 17, Xinhua president Fu Hua met with Kenyan Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Director of Info on the Ministry of ICT, Innovation, and Youth Affairs Esther Wanjau in Nairobi, the place either side pledged to strengthen media cooperation. Later that day, Fu led his Xinhua delegation to a gathering with KNA. On August 25, senior members of President Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance occasion had been scheduled to satisfy with CCP leaders in Beijing, however the journey was reportedly referred to as off on the final minute; it’s anticipated to be rescheduled in October.

One initiative in August encapsulates the China-dominated nature of Chinese language media “cooperation” with Kenya. On August 18, the Chinese language embassy launched a “Shared Future” photograph and video contest soliciting content material that highlights Chinese language-Kenyan cooperation and friendship, with virtually $4,000 price of prizes. One of many judges for the competition was Joan Pereruan, the visible and syndication editor on the Nation Media Group, which owns the Each day Nation. The primary-place winner described within the Xinhua article asserting the winners final week was Enock Sikolia. The article omitted the truth that Sikolia is a Kenyan journalist who has been working at CGTN for the previous three years, and who beforehand spent over six years working for Nation Media Group, in response to his LinkedIn profile. Additionally omitted was any point out of the opposite first-place winner, Han Xu, who seems to be a photojournalist for Xinhua in Kenya.