Narrating the New Cold War: Investigating Chinese Cyber Propaganda and Sino-American Tensions on Bilibili
Abstract
This thesis examines Bilibili, a Chinese video-sharing platform originally known for its anime, comics, and gaming (ACG) content, as a critical site for the formation and circulation of nationalist discourse in the context of a “New Cold War” between the United States and China. As ideological rivalry increasingly shifts from traditional state media and military posturing to decentralized digital platforms, Bilibili offers a unique case study in how propaganda evolves in participatory online spaces. Through a combination of digital ethnography and discourse analysis, this research explores how Bilibili’s algorithmic infrastructure, comment culture (弹幕), and remix-oriented design allow users to not only consume, but also co-produce and localize state-aligned ideological narratives. Focusing on the platform’s reinterpretations of Western media (particularly the reception of Childish Gambino’s This Is America music video) and engagement with geopolitical topics like NATO, this study reveals how Bilibili enables a hybrid model of propaganda that blends state influence with user agency. These interactions generate emotionally resonant and culturally embedded narratives that reinforce Chinese nationalism, not through top-down imposition, but through selective amplification and participatory consensus. This thesis argues that such a model represents a significant evolution in global propaganda practices, wherein digital nationalism becomes both affective and interactive, blurring the boundaries between entertainment, ideology, and statecraft in the 21st-century information landscape.