Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has raised concerns over China’s increasing influence in Georgia’s media landscape. Despite not launching a state media outlet in Georgia, China is utilizing local pro-Kremlin media to promote its narratives. A recent report highlighted a 50-minute program on a leading Georgian TV channel praising China’s achievements, produced with content from China Media Group.
The program, hosted by two anchors in front of a map of China with the communist flag, avoids sensitive topics like the Uyghur repression in Xinjiang or the Hong Kong protests. The Chinese Embassy in Georgia reportedly funds this program through local media outlets. Amendments to Georgia’s Law on Broadcasting since April 2025 have restricted foreign funding for broadcasters, but no action has been taken against these violations.
RSF emphasized that China’s strategy in Georgia involves shaping international perceptions by concealing negative information and promoting a positive image. By using local intermediaries, China aims to spread its narratives without the need for direct media outlets. The signing of a strategic partnership between Georgia and China in 2023 marked a new phase in disseminating China’s narrative in the country, with articles from China’s Global Times being republished in Georgian outlets.
Amid political pressure and funding difficulties, Georgia’s media landscape has become vulnerable, with over 600 violations against journalists and media outlets recorded between October 2024 and November 2025. RSF warned that these tactics erode media pluralism and create an ecosystem where authoritarian propaganda thrives, emphasizing the need to address foreign influence in Georgia’s media environment.
