Reinders writes that Chinese stereotypes of Jews are based in positive generalizations more than negative ones.[11]: 98–99 Jews are praised for valuing education like Chinese, although this is often also framed competitively.[11]: 99 Some mass market books associate Jews with wealth-building.[11]: 98–99 Some scholars wrote that philosemitic stereotypes in China, which gained traction as part of China's economic reform, can quickly turn antisemitic.[4][12][13] According to Tuvia Gering anti-Semitic conspiracy theories have historically been a useful tool for the Chinese government against Western countries.[14]
According to surveys which were conducted by the Anti-Defamation League in 2014, roughly 20 percent of Chinese people have a negative attitude towards Jews, and the older people are, the more likely they are to have a negative perception of Jews.[9][18] Since 2015, descendants of the Kaifeng Jews have come under government pressure and suspicion.[19]
The May 2021 events in Gaza precipitated Chinese state-run media invoking antisemitic tropes and sentiments, encouraged by top Chinese diplomats, and rehashed by well-known Chinese political commentators.[8] In particular, Israel's embassy in Beijing accused China Global Television Network (CGTN) of "blatant antisemitism" when it broadcast a program during the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis, in which host Zheng Junfeng claimed that Jews were in control of global finances and that "powerful lobbies" of Jews were responsible for the U.S. government's support for Israel.[21][22][23]
In September 2021, BYD was criticized for appointing Lu Kewen, an online influencer known for spreading antisemitic tropes, as a spokesperson for the company.[8]Political bloggerSima Nan's Weibo channel spread the notion that Jews colluded with the Empire of Japan to establish a Jewish homeland on Chinese territory during the Second Sino-Japanese War in what has been termed the Fugu Plan, which purported that "Jewish capitalists" are puppeteering Western powers to contain China's rise.[7]
Antisemitic reactions to the Gaza war were widespread on Chinese state media and social media.[26][27][28][29][30] Antisemitic comments are not removed from Chinese social media sites such as Xiaohongshu.[31][32][33][34] Sympathetic portrayals of Hamas have proliferated on Bilibili.[35] In a November 2023 interview with Voice of America, Israel's ambassador to China, Irit Ben-Abba, spoke about China–Israel relations and antisemitism on the Chinese Internet, stating that "The antisemitic, anti-Israel discourse that we saw quite intensively in the last month has subsided", and arguing that China's relations with Israel have not changed, as according to Ben-Abba, there is still significant admiration of Israel and Jews.[36]China Central Television (CCTV) falsely claimed that "Jews represent just 3% of the American population but control 70% of its wealth."[33] In response to the 2024 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses, former editor-in-chief of the Global TimesHu Xijin stated that the protests show that "Jewish political and business alliance's control over American public opinion has declined."[37]
Antisemitic tropes have also been spread online by the Ministry of Public Security's Spamouflage influence operation.[14] In October 2024, The Washington Post reported that Spamouflage targeted U.S. representative Barry Moore (R-AL) with accusations that he won his primary because of "the bloody Jewish consortium," as well as calling him a "Jewish dog", among other antisemitic tropes. Moore has been critical of the Chinese Communist Party, and as a result, he has expressed support for Taiwanese independence. Moore is not Jewish.[38]
Responses
Several Jewish leaders and activists, such as Rabbi Matt Trusch, have used Chinese social media such as Douyin to educate the Chinese populace about antisemitism and debunk common stereotypes and conspiracy theories.[7] Academic Tuvia Gering also called Chinese and Israeli officials to address the growing antisemitic sentiment before it has a chance to spread further.[8]
Analysts have noted that antisemitism in China is a relatively understudied subject, and that viral antisemitic posts on social media does not necessarily indicate the average opinion of Chinese people, as there are also many posts condemning antisemitism.[39]
^ abcHaime, Jordyn (5 August 2022). "This American rabbi is fighting antisemitism in China with online videos". J. The Jewish News of Northern California. Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022. The Fugu Plan never came to fruition, but the antisemitic and ultranationalist political blogger Yu Li (who blogs under the name Sima Nan) has shared the story with his nearly 3 million followers. In a 20-minute-long antisemitic rant, he says the Fugu Plan is evidence that the Jews colluded with the Japanese to establish a Jewish homeland on Chinese territory — a conspiracy that fits a nationalist narrative that China is constantly under attack by foreign powers.
^ abcdeReinders, Eric (2024). Reading Tolkien in Chinese: Religion, Fantasy, and Translation. Perspectives on Fantasy series. London, UK: Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN9781350374645.
