Weaponization of Mandarin Chinese

Abstract

This article investigates the weaponization of Mandarin Chinese by analyzing four components of weaponized language: propaganda, disinformation, censorship, and mundane discourse deployed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The weaponization of Mandarin Chinese particularly targets religious people, including Christians, Falun Gong practitioners, and believers of sects unsanctioned by CCP, minorities, and prodemocracy activists. The weaponization of the Chinese language demonstrates that the CCP authorities possess the power to manipulate language so that it shapes public discourse and affects public perception, opinion, and behavior.