09.01.2026

Lecture: Authoritarian echoes and security narratives of Chinese migrants in Europe

2026-01-14 Wednesday 12-14h, Keplerstr. 2 or Zoom

“I know the truth when I see it”: Authoritarian echoes and security narratives of Chinese migrants in Europe

by Franziska Plümmer (European Studies, University of Amsterdam)

"Chinese migrants in Europe often rely on Chinese language (social) media like WeChat, Little Red Book, or DOLC.de to stay in touch with family & friends, to stay informed about Chinese or European politics, and to exchange information about the host society, its bureaucracies and culture. While language barriers partly explain this reliance, many migrants also actively choose to not use other platforms such as YouTube or local news websites. In our over 30 semi-structured interviews conducted during the winter of 2024/25, our findings suggest that Chinese migrants don’t consider European digital platforms or news websites as appealing. Participants cite entertainment value and awareness of Chinese government influence as key factors shaping their media preferences.

My research explores the following questions: How do migrants choose their media platforms? What role does media socialization in an authoritarian context play in shaping these choices? How do migrants respond to local media initiatives in European host societies? Given that many migrants reference ‘democratic aspirations’ as a motivation for leaving China, how is this reflected in their media choices? Drawing on Foucault’s concept of regimes of truth, the talk investigates what Chinese migrants consider as truth, how they are subjected to those regimes and how they navigate/ resist different regimes."