Chinese Netizens Outraged by State Media’s Narrative on Floods

An aerial view shows flooded residential buildings in Jiujiang, China's central Jiangxi province, on July 18, 2020. HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images
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As millions of Chinese in flood-hit regions are suffering tremendous losses, Chinese state media blamed the Internet for creating “a false impression” (alternative translation: an illusion) that the flooding in China this year is more serious than previous years.

“The Internet keeps spreading information about floods to your cell phone. It is the improved Internet access that gives everyone a false impression that flooding is getting more serious year over year,” a state-run TV anchor said.