A recent study conducted by researchers Xinyue Shen, Xinlei He, Michael Backes, Jeremy Blackburn, Savvas Zannettou, and Yang Zhang has shed light on the persistent and evolving nature of Sinophobia, or anti-Chinese sentiment, on the web. The research, which analyzed a vast dataset of 8 billion posts from Reddit and 206 million posts from 4chan’s /pol/ forum between 2016 and 2021, offers a comprehensive quantitative understanding of the origins, evolution, and content of Sinophobic discourse online.
The study reveals that anti-Chinese sentiment is not solely triggered by events directly related to China. Instead, political occurrences in other parts of the world, such as the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, can also evoke Sinophobic content. This finding underscores the complex and interconnected nature of global politics and how they influence online discourse.
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly exacerbated Sinophobic sentiment. Despite hate-speech ban policies, the daily usage of Sinophobic slurs surged during the pandemic. The semantic meaning of the words “China” and “Chinese” also shifted towards Sinophobic connotations with the rise of COVID-19 and remained consistent throughout the pandemic period. This highlights the role of global health crises in amplifying pre-existing biases and the challenges in moderating hate speech online.
The research employed topic modeling to identify the diverse and broad range of topics in Sinophobic discussions. Both Reddit and 4chan’s /pol/ shared common Sinophobic themes, including ethnicity, economics and commerce, weapons and military, and foreign relations. However, Reddit also featured more daily life-related topics such as food, games, and stock market discussions. This indicates that Sinophobic sentiment can permeate various aspects of online discourse, from serious political and economic issues to more mundane topics.
The study also found that topics related to COVID-19 and blaming the Chinese government became more prevalent during the pandemic. This reflects how global events can shape and intensify specific narratives within online communities. The researchers note that this paper represents the longest quantitative measurement of Sinophobia to date, providing valuable insights into the persistence and evolution of anti-Chinese sentiment on the web.
The findings of this study have significant implications for understanding and addressing Sinophobia and other forms of online hate speech. By identifying the triggers and patterns of Sinophobic discourse, policymakers, platform moderators, and community leaders can develop more effective strategies to mitigate hate speech and promote inclusive online environments. The research also underscores the importance of continuous monitoring and analysis of online discourse to adapt to evolving trends and challenges in the digital landscape. Read the original research paper here.