Chinese Political Scientist Fights Geopolitical Misinformation with International Relations Test
Quick Look
- Chinese political scientist Yan launched the fourth annual International Relations Basic Knowledge Proficiency Test in Beijing.
- The exam aims to correct "negative one" level understanding of geopolitics, countering misleading narratives prevalent in short-form social media videos, a trend amplified by China's looser online controls on international affairs content.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Chinese political scientist Yan created an annual International Relations Basic Knowledge Proficiency Test to counter misleading geopolitical narratives on social media.
In an era where short-form videos and viral commentary can dominate public discourse on geopolitics, one Chinese political scientist is on a mission to correct what he calls a “negative one” level of understanding.
The fourth edition of the annual exam – known as the International Relations Basic Knowledge Proficiency Test – was held on July 5 at the Liaoning International Hotel in the Chinese capital.
“With the rise of short videos on social media, misleading narratives about international relations have become increasingly severe,” Yan said.
Chinese authorities maintain strict scrutiny over online content. But in the field of international affairs, the controls are comparatively looser. This flexibility provides content creators with greater room to generate traffic by capitalising on international events and diplomatic issues.
“In some disciplines at Tsinghua University, teaching starts from zero – introducing students to what they don’t know,” Yan said.
Open Questions
- How effective is the test in correcting misinformation?
- What specific narratives does the test address?
