One of the foremost tasks of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) under Xi Jinping is, at his directive, to “tell stories about China well and spread China’s voice well; enable the world to see a multidimensional and colorful China; present China as a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and an upholder of international order”.
When the coronavirus pandemic broke out in December 2019 in Wuhan and the Chinese authorities allowed it to spread to the rest of the world, “telling China’s story well” suddenly became an acute concern. It was necessary to save the regime’s face, deflect blame and seek to portray China as heroically battling the pandemic, instead of the reality of having caused it. China went into an even more energetic propaganda mode than usual, seeking to control the narrative about the virus at every turn.

Newsmax’s Greg Kelly Reports program had 229,000 viewers in the key 25- to 54-year-old demographic on Monday, surpassing the 203,000 who watched The Story With Martha MacCallum on Fox, CNN reported, citing Nielsen ratings data. The figures don’t include Newsmax’s livestreaming audience on the internet, which is 
