The foreign legion of YouTubers defending ChinaVlogger Jason Lightfoot regularly posts about Western 'lies' against China. Their backgrounds are often in fields unrelated to current affairs or politics, while their videos blend footage of everyday life with passionate commentaries defending China. His videos have featured tours sponsored by the government-run China Radio International, where he interviews other YouTubers about criticisms of China and explores rural development projects. It is difficult to quantify the influence of the YouTubers outside China, with many of their commenters claiming to be grateful Chinese. While researchers have said China uses fake accounts and "bots" to manipulate online traffic, AFP did not find proof that the YouTubers were part of this effort.

Source: Bangkok Post September 12, 2021 02:48 UTC