HKFP 香港自由新聞

Beijing constructs an ‘independence’ plot for Hong Kong protests through 

information operations

北京通過信息操縱將香港抗議活動

構陷為“獨立”陰�

By Weiboscope HKU 5 November 2019

香港大學微博眼 2019年11月5日

New research by the Journalism and Media Studies Centre of the Hong Kong University unveiled that disinformation spread on social media by China framed the 2019 Hong Kong protests as a separatist movement.

香港大學新聞與傳媒研究中心的最新研究顯示，中共國通過在社交媒體上傳播虛假信息，將2019年香港抗議活動定性為一場分裂邉印�

Since August 2019, China’s information operations on Hong Kong protests have been unveiled internationally. This was brought to light after a number of social media platforms, including Twitter and Facebook, discovered the existence of coordinated network activities by China that were spreading disinformation about Hong Kong protests. Twitter said that the aim of these operations was to undermine the protest movement’s “legitimacy and political positions.”

自2019年8月以來，中共國操縱香港抗議活動已經在國際上昭然若揭。在包括推特和臉書在內的多個社交媒體平台發現中共國在香港抗議活動上存在著修改網絡動態，傳播虛假信息的行為之後，這一事實才被曝光。推特說，這些行動的目的是破壞抗議邉拥摹昂戏ㄐ院驼�治定位”。

As Twitter and Facebook’s reports had not addressed the nature of disinformation in the operation, a research team headed by Professor Fu King-wa of the Journalism and Media Studies Centre of the Hong Kong University conducted follow-up research and ran data analysis on content from 640,000 Twitter user accounts which actively posted Hong Kong-related news since June 2019. The research is still ongoing.

推特和臉上的報告並沒有解決操縱中虛假信息的本質，一個由香港大學新聞及傳媒研究中心的傅教授領導的研究小組對2019年6月以來積極發佈香港相關新聞的64萬個推特賬戶內容進行了跟蹤調查和數據分析。這項研究還在進行中。

The initial analysis shows that about 20 per cent of the 640,000 Twitter users were bots, which is is much higher than previous research about information operations in other countries. For example, the percentage of bots in Russia’s information operations regarding Ukraine was only just about 8 per cent according to research on Russian social media influence published by RAND corporation in 2018.

最初的分析表明，在64萬名推特用戶中，約有20%是機器人，這一比例遠遠高於此前其他國家信息操縱的研究結果。譬如說，根據藍德（RAND）公司2018年發佈的關於俄羅斯社交媒體影響力的研究報告，俄羅斯在烏克蘭事件的信息操縱上，機器人只有8%。

Inside China’s Great Firewall, disinformation spread on social media was mainly aimed at constructing a separatist or “pro-Hong Kong independence” frame for Hong Kong’s anti-extradition movement. Everything related to Hong Kong protests on China’s Weibo was labelled as acts of “pro-Hong Kong independence” by social media news outlets. For example, a Hong Kong actor and an ex-cop, Wong Hei (王喜), who is in sympathy with the protesters, has been labelled a “pro-Hong Kong independence” actor by Chinese social media entertainment news outlets and celebrity fan communities. Hong Kong students’ class boycotts were labelled “pro-Hong Kong independence” acts on both official and commercial social media public accounts.

在中共國防火墻以內，社交媒體上傳播的虛假信息主要是為了把香港的反送中邉訕嬒轂榉至鸦颉爸С窒愀郦毩ⅰ边動。中共國微博上所有與香港抗議有關的事都被社交新聞媒體貼上“支持香港獨立”的標籤。比如說，香港藝人前警官王喜，因對抗議者表示同情，就被中共社交媒體娛樂新聞媒體和名人粉絲圈貼上了“支持香港獨立”的標籤。香港學生的罷課行為在官方和商業社交媒體公共號上，都被貼上“支持香港獨立”的標籤。

Even the pro-Hong Kong protests comments that are made outside the Great Firewall on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, once they are spotted by mainland Chinese netizens and reported on Chinese social media platforms, the individual users could face tremendous pressure, in particular, if they have social and business connections with China. The most well-known example was the NBA saga regarding Daryl Morey’s tweet about Hong Kong.

甚至連防火墻之外的推特、臉上和Instagram上支持香港抗議的評論，一旦被大量網民發現，並中共社交媒體平台報道，個人用戶就可能面臨著巨大壓力，尤其是那些與中共有著社會和商業往來的人。最著名的例子就是NBA的莫雷（Daryl Morey）發了一條關於香港推文的事件。

Hong Kong tycoon, Li Ka-shing is the most unexpected victim of such political labelling. On Chinese social media, including Weibo and WeChat, he was accused of sponsoring the pro-Hong Kong independent protests by a number of pro-Beijing online opinion leaders and HK-related Chinese social media news outlets. What he had advocated for in his political advertisement was the peaceful resolution of the current conflicts. However, views that criticise both parties⁠ – the protesters and the government ⁠- were considered politically incorrect in the eyes of the Chinese government.

香港大亨李嘉帐沁@種政治標籤最意想不到的受害者。在包括微博和微信在內的中共社交媒體上，許多親北京的網絡意見領袖和與香港有關的中共社交新聞媒體指控他為支持香港獨立抗議提供贊助。僅僅因為他所提倡的政治主張是和平解決當前衝突。然而，批評雙方的觀點（抗議者和政府）在中共政府看來，政治上都是錯誤的。

Moreover, pro-Beijing violent acts had been praised on mainland Chinese social media as heroic acts. For example, the Lennon Walls, a public art space which has been set up spontaneously by local residents in many districts for free expression, are labelled “pro-Hong Kong independence” sites and those who have taken action to destroy the walls are depicted as the righteous ones. Since August, many protesters have been attacked by pro-Beijing thugs near the Lennon Walls. On August 20, a female journalist was stabbed on stomach at Lennon Wall in Tseung Kwan O Tunnel. The journalist was in critical condition. Two weeks ago, on October 29, a teenage boy was stabbed by a mainland Chinese tourist on his neck and stomach at Tai Po Lennon Wall. The attacker reportedly took down pro-democracy posters on the wall and shouted Hong Kong is “part of China” before he attacked his victim who was handing out flyers.

此外，親北京的暴力行為在中共大陸社交媒體上被美化為英雄行為。比如說，連儂墻，一個有多個地區當地居民自發建立、供自由表達的公共藝術空間，被貼上“支持香港獨立”的標籤，而那些毀壞連儂墻的人則被刻畫成正義的人。自8月以來，許多抗議者在連儂墻附近早點親北京暴徒的襲擊。8月20日，一名女記者在將軍澳隧道的連儂墻被刺。這名記者情況很糟糕。兩週前的10月29日，一名十幾歲的男孩在太浦連儂墻被一名內地遊客刺傷頸部和腹部。據報道，這名襲擊者在襲擊分發傳單的受害者之前，撕下了墻上的民主派海報，並高喊香港是“中國的一部分”。

However, “Hong Kong independence” is not even on the agenda of the Hong Kong protesters, who have been taking to the streets since March 2019. The five demands of the protests are complete withdrawal of the extradition bill, which would authorise Hong Kong to extradite crime suspects to mainland China for trial, independent investigation into police operations, the dropping of all riot charges against the protesters, amnesty for arrested protesters, and universal suffrage to choose the Legislature and the Chief Executive. None of these demands includes calls for Hong Kong independence.

然而，“香港獨立”甚至不在自2019年3月以來就上街抗議的香港抗議者的議程中。抗議者的五大訴求是：徹底取消授權香港將犯罪嫌疑人引渡到中共大陸受審的引渡法案、對警方的行為展開獨立調查、收回對抗議者的暴動指控、釋放被抓捕的抗議者，以及實現真選舉，普選立法委和行政長官。所有這些訴求都不含香港獨立的要求。

When exactly did the “pro-Hong Kong independence” framework emerge? The research team analysed data from their existing Weiboscope social media data collection project and found out that the term “pro-Hong Kong independence” was barely used before July 21 because it was a politically sensitive term. Under the mainland Chinese censorship system, politically sensitive terms are either blocked or heavily censored and only Chinese government and party-affiliated news outlets and celebrities could use these terms.

“支持香港獨立”的框架到底是什麼時候出現的呢？研究小組分析了微博眼社交媒體收集到的已有數據發現， 在7月21日之前，“支持香港獨立”術語還很少使用，因為這是個政治敏感詞。在中國大陸審查制度下，政治敏感詞要麼被屏蔽，要麼受到嚴格審查，只有中共政府和黨支部下屬的新聞機構和名人才能使用這些詞彙。

on July 22, the term, “pro-Hong Kong independence” was uncensored and resulted in a surge in the use of the term on Weibo.

7月22日，“支持香港獨立”一詞沒有被審查，導致該詞在微博上的使用激增。

On July 21, the Civil Human Rights Front organised a march from Causeway Bay to Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island. After the peaceful protest, a large number of protesters continued to march forward to the Beijing Liaison Office in the Western District. One of the protesters managed to throw ink and stain the China national emblem outside the Liaison Office building. On the same night, a large group of pro-Beijing thugs rushed into the Yuen Long subway station, attacking protesters who were returning from the peaceful protest to the New Territories. Many were seriously injured.

7月21日，公民人權陣線組織了一場從銅鑼灣到香港灣仔的遊行。和平抗議後，大量抗議者繼續向西區的中聯辦進發。一名抗議者設法在中聯辦大樓外投擲墨水弄污中共國國徽。同一天晚上，一大群親北京的暴徒衝進元朗地鐵站，襲擊了從和平抗議活動返回新界的抗議者，多人重傷。

On the next day, Beijing’s state and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) affiliated media outlets ran commentaries on the protest outside the Beijing Liaison Office and in particular framed the staining of the national emblem as an act of “pro-Hong Kong independence.” The once politically sensitive term was now widely used on Chinese social media.

第二天，北京官方和中共下屬媒體對中聯辦外面的抗議活動進行了評論，特別將污損國徽定性為“支持香港獨立”的行為。於是，這個一度是政治敏感詞的術語開始在中共社交媒體被廣泛使用。

The second spike was recorded on August 9 when more than 6000 posts mentioned the key term “Hong Kong independence”. The background of the spike was related to the first press conference of the by China’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office on July 29 which expressed its strong support to the Hong Kong government and police action.

第二次高峰出現在8月9日，超過6000個帖子提到“香港獨立”這個關鍵詞。出現這一波高峰的背景是，7月29日，中共港澳事務辦公室召開了第一次新聞發佈會，對香港政府和警方行為表示了強烈支持。

The greatest spike took place on August 13 after CCP-affiliated media outlet Global Times’ reporter Fu Guohao’s encounter with Hong Kong protesters at the city’s international airport. A number of protesters took hold of Fu Guohao at the airport after he had been spotted taking close-up photos of the protesting crowds. In Fu’s backpack, they found a blue T-shirt with “support Hong Kong police” logo – as worn by pro-Beijing mobs who attacked Hong Kong protesters on August 11 in various districts. The protesters questioned Fu’s identity and in the process, Fu yelled out: “I support Hong Kong police, you can now beat me up!”

最高峰發生在中共中央電視台下屬媒體《環球時報》記者付國豪在香港國際機場與香港抗議者遭遇之後的8月13日。由於發現付國豪偷拍抗議人群的特寫照片，一些抗議者在機場將其抓住。在付的背包裡，抗議者發現了一件印有“支持香港警察”字樣的藍色T恤，這是8月11日在不同地區襲擊抗議者時的親北京暴徒穿的。抗議者對付的身份產生質疑，在此期間，付大喊：“我就是支持香港警察，你們來打我啊！”

Fu Guohao’s incident had gone viral overnight on Chinese social media. In the majority of the comments, Fu was viewed as a hero defending national dignity while Hong Kong protesters were standing in opposition to the Chinese nation.

付國豪事件一夜之間在中共社交媒體瘋傳。大多數評論認為付是捍衛國家尊嚴的英雄，而香港抗議者則站在中華民族的對立面。

However, as the 70th anniversary of the People Republic of China was approaching on October 1, the “Hong Kong independence” frame faded out on Chinese social media.

然而，由於臨近10月1日中共國70年國慶，“香港獨立”的構陷又在中共社交媒體上淡出了。

Who was involved in establishing such “pro-Hong Kong independence” framing? According to the data set, approximately 13 per cent of the posts which contained the keyword “Hong Kong independence” were directly re-posted from People’s Daily and Global Times. If including the copy and paste re-posts, the percentage would be even higher.

誰參與發起這種“支持香港獨立”的構陷呢？數據顯示，在含有“港獨”關鍵詞的帖子中，約13%是從《人民日報》和《環球時報》直接轉載的。如果算上複製和粘貼轉發，這個比例會更高。

The research team will continue to dig further into the data for a more elaborate analysis of China’s information operations in relation to the Hong Kong protests. However, initial findings strongly suggest that the CCP and state media apparatus have played a key role in spreading information framing the protests as a “pro-Hong Kong independence” movement. Such attempts are intended to mislead Chinese public opinion that the discontent is part of a separatist political plot to undermine the “integrity of Chinese territory” – a phrase repeatedly used among mainland Chinese online patriots.

研究小組將繼續深挖數據，以便對中共操縱香港抗議活動的信息有更為詳細的分析。然而，初步調查結果有力地表明，CCP和官方媒體機構在傳播信息，將抗議者構陷為“支持香港獨立”方面扮演了關鍵性角色。這些企圖是為了誤導中國的公眾輿論，把他們認定為一小撮對政府不滿的人，目的是陰制茐摹爸袊�領土完整”——這句話在中共大陸的網絡愛國者中被反復引用。

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