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GIGA China Series: From Tweets to Tactics: Unpacking State-Sponsored Propaganda Campaigns on Twitter

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Digital technologies have posed significant challenges to democratic systems, particularly through the dissemination of propaganda by authoritarian regimes. This study investigates the complex dynamics and tactics of authoritarian regimes in social media propaganda, focusing on how China and Russia leverage state-backed X (formerly Twitter) accounts for this purpose. Analysing over 2.8 million posts – often still called “tweets” – from 744 Chinese accounts linked to Hong Kong and 411 Russian Internet Research Agency (IRA) accounts, we find that Chinese accounts proactively shape narratives to reinforce internal stability, whereas Russian accounts exhibit reactive spikes during critical events, utilising divisive narratives to exacerbate polarisation in Western democracies. This dual strategy underscores how state-sponsored propaganda tactics and strategies by authoritarian regimes adeptly employ inward-focused tactics to maintain control and outward-facing approaches that destabilise adversaries. Ultimately, our research illuminates the evolving landscape of propaganda in the digital age, emphasising the role of social media in legitimising authoritarian regimes, co-opting dissent, and shaping global public opinion.

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