Why Australia's opposition is vying for votes on Chinese social media
Summary
Australian candidates campaigning for the forthcoming election are seeking support from the Chinese Australian community through Chinese social media apps. This major push on platforms such as WeChat and RedNote is aimed at influencing the votes of this crucial demographic, which had previously been instrumental to the Labor Party's victory in the 2022 election.Key Facts
- Australian opposition candidates are reaching out to Chinese Australian voters through Chinese social media apps like WeChat and RedNote.
- Close to six out of every ten Chinese Australians use WeChat daily, as cited by a Lowy Institute poll in 2022.
- In the previous election of 2022, Chinese Australians played a crucial role in the Labor party's victory.
- Chinese Australians make up only 5.5% of Australia's population.
- Liberal candidates have been intensifying their campaign efforts in constituencies with significant Chinese Australian populations.
- Grange Chung, contesting the seat of Reid (New South Wales), started using WeChat for his campaign in February.
- More than 220 Liberal ads have appeared on WeChat since January, supported by a study by the University of Melbourne researcher Fan Yang.
- Even politicians who are not of Chinese ethnicity have been expressing their presence on these apps, trying to connect with the Chinese-speaking community.
- The Chinese Australian electorate is becoming more politically aware and discerning.
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