NEW: What harassment of Chinese dissidents reveals about the far right disinformation ecosystem that led to the Capitol siege

My latest with ⁦ @BethanyAllenEbr⁩: https://www.axios.com/chinese-dissidents-disinformation-protests-7dbc28d7-68d0-4a09-ac4c-f6a11a504f7c.html

These dissidents, both in the U.S. and around the world, have found themselves cornered in their homes, with protesters waving banners outside and accusing them of being CCP spies. Some have faced accusations of intentionally spreading COVID or killing Chinese dissidents.

These protests play into a disinformation ecosystem perpetuated by Guo Wengui, a Chinese billionaire with ties to Steve Bannon and other Trump allies. Guo has gained a huge following speaking out against the CCP but has used his platform to attack those who criticize him.

We first reported on these protests last November as they were still ongoing for many in the U.S. They were an early warning sign.

Guo is closely connected with the right-wing network of media pushing baseless Hunter Biden conspiracy theories. https://www.axios.com/chinese-activists-guo-wengui-02cd277f-4e42-4e1c-8a67-20f492629437.html

Even with the overlap of Chinese-language disinformation (an ongoing problem even outside of Guo) and far right spaces, little attention was paid to the news, probably due to usual ignorance of immigrant communities and a less-than-welcome attitude toward China at the moment.

The bottom line: Pay attention to the Chinese diaspora!!!