The state-controlled news media seized the moment to cast doubt on American democracy and promote an image of China as a responsible superpower.
BEIJING — President Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate change accord drew criticism from leaders around the world. In China, the government seized the moment to cast doubt on American democracy and promote an image of China as a responsible superpower. Here’s how the state-controlled news media covered Mr. Trump’s decision and what the portrayal suggests about China’s efforts to extend influence across the globe.
Mr. Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris agreement gave fresh material to one of the state media’s favorite propaganda themes: the idea that Western democracy is flawed, chaotic and prone to social strife.
The news media highlighted protests and criticism of Mr. Trump in the United States, suggesting that America was facing a crisis. In the video above, shown on the state channel CCTV, an announcer likens Mr. Trump’s decision to an earthquake. He asks, “Will the already divided America become even more torn apart?” Images of protesters loom in the background.
Commentators pointed to the disarray of the 2016 presidential election as evidence of the perils of democracy. Now they are showcasing the political divisions among Americans under Mr. Trump as evidence of the decline of the United States.
Mr. Trump has many fans in China, where he is known for his business acumen and ostentatious displays of wealth. The news media has also been kind to him, especially as he has sought closer ties with President Xi Jinping.
But Mr. Trump’s decision to withdraw from the climate agreement provoked widespread fury. On social media, news outlets referred to Mr. Trump as a “public enemy of the world, ” saying he was endangering the health of the planet. On Weibo, a Twitter-like service, a CCTV post portrayed Mr. Trump as childish and impulsive in a fake chat with current and former world leaders.
“I don’ t want to talk to you!” he tells President Obama. “You signed a terrible deal!”
CCTV’s message was clear: The United States can’ t be trusted as a responsible global player, at least on environmental issues.
The news media has used the occasion of Mr. Trump’s withdrawal from the accord to trumpet the country’s commitment to fighting climate change. More broadly, the government is seeking to show that China is ready to take a more active role in global affairs — not just on the environment, but on issues like trade and infrastructure.
Those themes shined through recently on the front page of The Global Times, a newspaper that often takes a stridently nationalist tone. The newspaper showed a photograph of a beaming Premier Li Keqiang standing next to Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany.
The Global Times warned of upheavals in United States policies, but vowed that China and the European Union would “hold hands in firmly keeping promises.” The newspaper said the United States’ exit from the Paris accord would “affect the chess game among big powers.”
Chinese leaders hope that they can move swiftly to deepen an alliance with Europe as part of a balancing strategy against the United States. Here, the message was that China was a consistent and reliable partner, unlike the United States under Mr. Trump.
