How France uncovered a network of propaganda sites linked to Beijing

On Thursday, June 4, Viginum – the French government watchdog against foreign digital interference – revealed the existence of a network of fake news sites in multiple languages, all linked to a state media outlet under the control of the Chinese Communist Party, China Global Television Network (CGTN). This discovery has unveiled a textbook case of a superpower attempting to manipulate public opinion in Western countries.

Nicknamed "Fawn Mianju" by French authorities, the operation was first exposed in the summer of 2025 by the American cybersecurity company Graphika. At that time, Graphika identified 11 websites and 16 English-language social media accounts on , Instagram, Mastodon, Threads and X, all uncritically relaying CGTN articles and specifically targeting young people. Other sites shared this content in French ("Actu Méridien"), Spanish ("Amigo News") and Vietnamese.

Mainly published between March 2015 and February 2026, the fake articles posted on "Actu Méridien" Chinese aerospace and artificial intelligence, China as the leader of the "Global South," and environmental initiatives, as well as the supposed benefits for France in aligning with Chinese interests. Another article, published in several languages, criticized a France 2 television report on the treatment of Uyghurs in China.