Paris, March 18 (NationPress) The media watchdog, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), has raised concerns regarding China's increasing influence over the fragile media environment in Georgia. Since 2022, China has been enhancing its impact on Georgia's information landscape. Although it has not established a state media outlet in Georgia, China is leveraging local media entities, mainly those aligned with the Kremlin and supportive of the Georgian government, to disseminate its narratives, according to a report.

A notable 50-minute broadcast celebrating China's achievements, featuring two presenters in front of a map of China adorned with the communist flag, was aired on a prominent Georgian television channel. This channel is often viewed as pro-Kremlin and was founded in 2010 by Irma Inashvili, a former MP and co-founder of the Alliance of Patriots of Georgia party.

"Each episode, produced using content from China Media Group — the largest state-owned broadcasting entity in China — serves as nearly an hour-long tribute to Beijing's economic, cultural, and diplomatic accomplishments. Sensitive subjects, such as the oppression of Uyghurs in Xinjiang or the demonstrations in Hong Kong, are notably omitted," reported RSF from Paris.

"This format illustrates Beijing's strategy for foreign influence, aiming to shape global perceptions of China by obscuring damaging details while promoting a favorable image of the nation. The Chinese Embassy in Georgia has funded Obiektivi for this broadcast, as indicated by the 2025 data published on the Communications Commission's (ComCom) website, the media regulator in the country," the report elaborated.

The statistics for 2026 have yet to be disclosed. However, since April 2025, changes to Georgia's Broadcasting Law have prohibited broadcasters from receiving foreign funding, barring commercial advertising exceptions. Despite this apparent breach of the law by Obiektivi, Georgian authorities have taken no action, as reported by RSF.

Jeanne Cavelier, head of the RSF Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk, remarked, "Beijing has no need to create its own media outlets in Georgia; it utilizes local intermediaries to propagate its narratives. This interference extends beyond misinformation; it subtly integrates foreign state narratives and obscured influence relationships with select media outlets. In Georgia's weakened media environment, these strategies foster an ecosystem where authoritarian propaganda bolsters itself, gradually undermining media diversity."

According to RSF, the establishment of a strategic partnership between Georgia and China in 2023 signaled a new chapter in the spread of China's narrative within Georgia. During this timeframe, articles from the Global Times, a leading daily based in China and affiliated with the Communist Party, were republished by various Georgian outlets. Content from the Global Times is regularly translated and published in Georgia, as noted in the report.

"China's influence is expanding as Georgia's media landscape continues to deteriorate. Under political pressure, restrictive laws, and financial challenges, numerous independent media outlets are fighting for survival. Over 600 violations against journalists and media entities were documented between October 2024 and November 2025. In this climate, Georgia's information space has become particularly receptive to foreign influence," RSF detailed.