Chinese journalist calls for broader global storytelling on World War II and Xinjiang
- Rick Dunham
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
By SHAN TIANQING
Global Business Journalism reporter
Li Fangfang, a senior editor at Beijing Review, urged young journalists to rethink how China’s history and contemporary realities are told to global audiences, arguing that narrative framing and on-the-ground reporting are critical to international understanding.
Speaking in the "Hot Topics" course at Tsinghua University on Dec. 15, Li reflected on her 15-year career in journalism and shared case studies on media coverage of the historical events of World War II and the contemporary developments in Xinjiang. Addressing students interested in international reporting, she contrasted coverage of these sensitive subjects in Chinese state media and movies with non-Chinese sources. She told the students that China’s stories have often been filtered through external lenses and strongly encouraged domestic journalists to engage more actively in global conversations.
Without more Chinese input in international discussions of historical and contemporary events, the prevailing global narratives will be shaped by outside sources, sometimes hostile to China, she said. In the case of World War II, the global narrative was heavily focused on Nazi Germany's atrocities and on the Anglo-American efforts to defeat Japan.
“For a long time, China’s role in the global fight against fascism has not been fully recognized,” Li said. “Our history is often told by others, and that narrative is not always complete or accurate.”
Reframing World War II
China has increasingly presented its experience in World War II not only as a national memory, but as part of the broader global struggle against fascism, Li told the students. She pointed to a noticeable shift in recent years toward framing China’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression as the main eastern front of World War II, as opposed to the prevailing narrative of the Pacific war beginning with the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941.
The 2025 Victory Day Parade on Sept. 3 served as a key example of narrative reinforcement. According to Li, the event was not only a military commemoration but also a large-scale media production designed to reach international audiences. The live broadcast, produced by China Media Group, adopted a more human- centered visual approach than in previous years and generated billions of social media impressions worldwide.
“Reporting on major events doesn’t have to rely on a single, official perspective,” Li said. “This time, the coverage included backstage stories, individual experiences, and moments that helped audiences understand the scale and emotion behind the event.”
Li noted that beyond traditional news reports, documentaries, films and user-generated content have played an increasingly important role. These have included interviews with survivors of the Japanese massacre of Nanjing, "comfort women" forced into prostitution to serve the Japanese occupiers and veterans of the anti-fascist resistance.
in shaping public memory of World War II, these online videos and classroom materials shared by educators, she said, have added personal and ethical dimensions to historical remembrance that resonate strongly with younger audiences.
“History is not just about dates and victories,” Li said. “It’s about people, suffering and the responsibility to remember.”
Contrasting media perspectives on Xinjiang
Li said the contrasts between Chinese and international media narratives are even more pronounced when it comes to Xinjiang, a topic she has closely followed since it became a major international story in 2017.
As a native of Xinjiang, she said her personal experiences often contrast sharply with how the region is portrayed abroad. Media outlets including the BBC have accused China of human rights abuses and forced internment of Uyghur Muslims. The Chinese government has consistently dismissed charges of "cultural genocide" as "lies" and politically inspired "provocations."
“International reporting frequently presents Xinjiang as a place defined only by repression and injustice,” Li said. “But the reality is more complex, and many stories on the ground are missing from global coverage.”
Li shared reporting experiences from her repeated visits to the region, including interviews conducted during China’s poverty alleviation campaign. She described meeting families who had moved from remote desert areas into modern housing and whose primary hope was for their children to receive education and better opportunities.
“These changes are sometimes framed overseas as forced or destructive,” she said. “But what I saw were people trying to escape poverty and build more secure lives.”
Li warned that simplified narratives can have real-world consequences. Economic sanctions and boycotts of cotton products linked to Xinjiang-related allegations, she argued, risk undermining local industries and pushing vulnerable communities back into poverty.
“What concerns me most is how complex social development issues are reduced to moral binaries,” she said. “That doesn’t help the people who actually live there.”
The limits of external observation
In comparing domestic and foreign media approaches to major Chinese events, Li noted that international outlets rarely have the access needed to capture everyday perspectives. Still, their coverage often focuses on geopolitical symbolism — such as the presence of foreign leaders or
military hardware at the Victory Day parade — rather than more nuanced analysis.
“Human-centered storytelling usually requires being on the ground,” Li said. “Without that access, coverage tends to remain distant and observational, which is understandable but incomplete.”
In recent years, Chinese journalists have learned to create journalism stories that connect better with global audiences. She praised short documentary-style videos produced by Chinese reporters, ncluding vlog-style reporting during national events, as examples of how professional journalism can adopt more intimate and relatable formats without sacrificing credibility.
“The world needs to see who ordinary Chinese people are,” she said. “These stories create emotional connections that statistics and official statements cannot.”
A message for future journalists
Li encouraged students to think critically about narrative power and professional responsibility. She stressed that telling China’s story to the world does not mean denying problems, but rather presenting them within broader social and historical contexts.
“Every society has challenges,” she said. “What matters is whether journalists are willing to look beyond headlines and ask deeper questions.”
Li expressed cautious optimism about China’s growing engagement with global media spaces. She said recent efforts to diversify storytelling formats and perspectives suggest a willingness
to participate more actively in international dialogue.
“How we tell our stories will determine whether Chinese voices feel heard and understood,” Li said. “And that task ultimately belongs to the next generation of journalists.”
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