Situation report: China’s AI in Central European social media narratives

Introduction

This situational report maps social media discourse surrounding China and artificial intelligence (AI) in the V4 countries: Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. It is the fourth situation report in the project “Investigating China-related narratives in the Central European information space”, implemented by CEIAS in cooperation with Matej Bel University and supported by the European Media and Information Fund (EMIF).

This report analyses discourse from December 1, 2024, to May 31, 2025, using Gerulata Juno, a unique online dashboard that monitors social media platforms. This period coincides with the launch of China’s DeepSeek large language model (LLM), which has sparked renewed debate over China’s potential breakthrough in AI and its broader implications for technological competition with the United States and the West more generally.

The report is organized by country and, within each national chapter, by three clusters of social media actors: China-affiliated media and official accounts posting in the local language; domestic political discourse; and the broader online debate, with particular attention to “alternative media” and anti-system voices.

The analysis draws on a pre-existing corpus of accounts monitored by Gerulata, expanded through project-specific mapping of actors relevant to China-related discussions. These include: China-affiliated media and social media channels; major political parties and politicians; leading mainstream media outlets; social media influencers; and accounts previously associated with alternative and anti-system narratives. The final dataset consisted of more than 3,400 sources in Czechia, 1,300 in Hungary, 8,500 in Poland, and 3,200 in Slovakia. In each language, Boolean search strings were developed to target relevant content using variations of the keywords “China,” “AI,” and “DeepSeek.” Posts were then manually reviewed to filter out irrelevant content.

Czechia: Between AI development and irremovable plastic bottle caps

This report analyzes social media discourse on China and AI between December 1 and May 31, focusing on the period following the release of DeepSeek. The findings are based on a sample of 1,277 Czech-language social media posts, which appeared predominantly on Telegram and X (formerly Twitter), followed by other platforms.

Chinese accounts

China has made AI a central theme in its state-affiliated media messaging in Czechia, portraying the country as a global leader in technological innovation. Beyond promoting AI, China Radio International (CRI)-affiliated influencer Pepa Zhang has also used AI-generated visual content to enhance his social media profile.

DeepSeek is presented as a flagship symbol of China’s AI capabilities and features prominently in videos shared by the Chinese Embassy. These portray AI as seamlessly embedded in daily life in China, from planning city tours in Shanghai to classroom tools, agricultural innovations, and student routines. One CRI video, with over two million views and featuring Czech-language subtitles and an AI-generated Czech voiceover, showcased DeepSeek’s everyday applications while subtly referencing China’s “Two Sessions,” the annual meetings of its legislature and top advisory body. Chinese accounts also spotlighted progress in humanoid robotics, especially in coverage of the Canton Fair.

Content shared by official Chinese accounts closely mirrored AI’s prominence in national policymaking. CRI reported on DeepSeek’s integration into China’s three major telecom networks, the inauguration of China Media Group’s new “AI building,” the release of a national AI White Paper, and a Politburo study session on AI governance—underscoring high-level strategic focus. AI, including DeepSeek, was also framed as both a challenge and an opportunity for China’s education system.

AI has similarly emerged as a prominent theme in China’s diplomatic messaging, as reflected in social media posts by official Chinese outlets. CRI highlighted Xi Jinping’s meeting with Vladimir Putin, where the two leaders agreed to deepen cooperation on AI. China also called on Shanghai Cooperation Organization members to establish a joint AI application center and announced that AI would feature prominently at the upcoming BRICS summit. At the UN, China has promoted its “AI for Good” vision through the Global AI Governance Initiative and launched capacity-building sessions at Tsinghua University, emphasizing shared global benefits.

Concurrently, Chinese state media have used the narrative of AI achievement to bolster investor confidence and present China as an innovation hub. Posts frequently cite Western sources to persuade foreign businesses of the opportunities within China’s AI and tech sectors, arguing that AI-driven growth will unlock new markets and stimulate domestic demand. Messaging also routinely criticizes US tech restrictions—such as the ban on DeepSeek on US government devices—while emphasizing China’s resilience and ability to achieve breakthroughs despite external skepticism.

Domestic political actors

Czech political representatives across the spectrum rarely engaged in public discussion about China’s AI capabilities or the release of the widely discussed large language model DeepSeek. However, a few statements did reflect key narratives circulating in the broader discourse.

Marek Ženíšek, Czech Minister for Science and Research, stood out as a vocal critic. In a tweet, he warned about DeepSeek’s potential for industrial espionage and data security breaches, emphasizing that the model originates from a communist country that Czechia “should never trust.” In another post, he referred to DeepSeek as a “Trojan horse.” A similar concern was raised by Jan Bartošek, a member of parliament from the Christian Democratic Party (KDU-ČSL), who criticized DeepSeek’s censorship and lack of transparency regarding human rights abuses in Xinjiang. Notably, Robert Králíček, an MP from the opposition ANO party, also framed DeepSeek as a security threat to Czechia and called for government action.

In contrast, Trikolóra, a Eurosceptic and nationalist political party, criticized US export controls against China, arguing that they merely accelerated China’s technological development, with DeepSeek’s success cited as evidence of the failure of US strategy. Jan Zahradil, a Czech MEP and former chair of the now-suspended EU–China Friendship Group, now affiliated with the Motoristé sobě party, praised China’s integration of AI into school curricula. He claimed that the EU and Czechia would never catch up, as they focus on exporting “moral values that nobody cares about.” In a similar vein, several politicians, including Eurosceptic MEP Filip Turek (Motoristé sobě) and conservative Senator Zdeněk Hraba (Civic Democratic Party), shared a meme suggesting that while the US and China are building advanced AI, the EU is preoccupied with regulating plastic bottle caps. Variations of this meme ranked among the most widely shared posts in the analyzed dataset.

Alternative media outlets and fringe actors

In the broader alternative media space, China was repeatedly portrayed as a global leader in AI development, producing revolutionary technologies and asserting dominance in the tech sector overall. Several posts highlighted the low cost of DeepSeek’s development or claimed that it had “humiliated” the US, with some even extrapolating that “everything is better in China than in the US”. The Facebook page Raptor TV emphasized that DeepSeek was more effective and cheaper than its US counterparts, dramatically labelling its success a “genocide in the Silicon Valley.”

Some users pointed to specific AI-related projects in China, such as the alleged testing of a virtual hospital staffed by AI doctors, framing them as evidence that China had technologically surpassed both the EU and the US. Other posts cited China’s use of humanoid robots in the automotive industry or plans to produce flying cars with AI integration.

The discussion around DeepSeek was also accompanied by criticism of the EU, particularly its perceived lack of technological innovation. Narratives suggested the EU was preoccupied with regulation while China was pushing ahead with open-source LLMs. One post commented: “Elon Musk developed a device that can catch a spent rocket mid-air, the Chinese developed DeepSeek, and Europe developed bottle caps that can’t be separated—which will save up to 0.00257 sea lions per bottle.” Regarding the US, some posts claimed that Washington’s export controls—intended to limit China’s access to advanced AI hardware—had failed, and that DeepSeek had “liquidated Nvidia’s dominance on the market,” even dubbing it an “AI Blitzkrieg.”

Interestingly, several posts referenced the false claim that DeepSeek was based on the Soviet-era OGAS system created by academician Glushko—a fabrication originating from a satirical article by the Russian website Panorama. As Reuters reported, this fictional story was later picked up as fact by Russian state media. Another widely shared claim alleged that Mark Zuckerberg had personally provided data to train DeepSeek because he supposedly wanted China to overtake the US, thereby pushing the West to invest more in AI development.

Several posts downplayed the censorship required under China’s legislative framework, suggesting that all AI systems are censored to some degree and that China is unfairly singled out. One user scoffed, “Idiots here are worrying about what Chinese AI will say about the man with plastic bags in front of the tank,” implying that China is progressing while the EU is distracted by trivial concerns.

On the question of China’s rapid AI advancement, some Telegram channels quoted the platform’s founder, Pavel Durov, to argue that China’s education system is superior to that of the West, emphasizing Chinese students’ strength in math and science and the culture of academic competition.

Hungary: China’s AI in geopolitical narratives of Western decline

This report analyzes social media discourse on China and AI between December 1 and May 31, focusing on the months following the release of DeepSeek. The findings are based on a sample of 821 Hungarian-language social media posts.

Chinese accounts

The Chinese embassy in Hungary featured only three posts in the analyzed dataset, none of which received more than ten interactions. In contrast, Chinese state-affiliated media were more active in content production, though their engagement levels remained relatively low. The Hungarian-language Facebook pages Kína csábereje (“China’s Charm”), affiliated with CRI, and CGTN Magyarul (“CGTN in Hungarian”) were both among the top ten content creators by volume of posts.

Kína csábereje accounted for 47 of the 821 posts in the dataset but garnered just 325 interactions overall, compared to the 20,000–25,000 interactions on the most popular channels. CGTN Magyarul published 31 posts but did not rank among the top 50 by engagement; its most popular post received only 30 interactions. Posts from Chinese state actors and media primarily focused on promoting China’s progress in artificial intelligence and criticizing US President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Chinese imports.

Domestic political actors

Domestic political figures are largely absent from the discourse. Prominent members of the Hungarian government, such as Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Foreign Minister Péter Szíjjártó, do not appear among the content creators in the analyzed dataset.

The only notable opposition figure present is Ákos Hadházy, an independent MP known for his investigative social media posts on corruption in Hungary. As noted in a previous situation report, Hadházy has also featured prominently in posts concerning China-related corruption cases in Hungary. His top content related to AI primarily addresses the Orbán government’s ban and planned AI surveillance of the 2025 Budapest Pride. In these posts, he refers to “Chinese-style” surveillance and a “Chinese system” of AI monitoring.

Media outlets

Pro-government media channels such as Ultrahang, Ultrahang Plusz, Patrióta, Hit Rádió, and Hír TV are among the top 20 content creators in terms of interactions. Despite each publishing only 2 to 5 posts on the topic, these few posts garnered a relatively high number of interactions, indicating strong engagement. These outlets primarily focus on broader geopolitical commentary, often framed through interviews with government-aligned international relations experts, with particular emphasis on the war in Ukraine.

Another type of pro-government platform is exemplified by the Facebook group Világ Helyzete (The State of the World’s Affairs), which publishes anonymously authored commentary claiming to represent “independent” or “non-establishment” perspectives on international affairs. One of its posts, featuring a Chinese AI-generated video satirizing American workers in sweatshop-like conditions, was the second-most interacted-with item in the dataset, receiving approximately 14,750 interactions. The video, which went viral on Chinese social media, mocks US President Trump’s tariffs on Chinese imports and suggests the impracticality of replacing Chinese products with American-made alternatives. The added commentary by the group’s editors further underlines this message.

Several government-critical media outlets also feature prominently in the dataset. Telex, a widely read critical news platform, ranks seventh in interactions, positioned between Ultrahang Plusz and Patrióta. Other platforms, such as HVG and Portfolio, with their strong focus on economic reporting, produced many posts but garnered comparatively lower engagement. For instance, Portfolio created the most posts in the dataset (75) but only received 734 interactions, placing it outside the top 10 by interaction count.

The primary focus of these platforms was the launch of DeepSeek and, more broadly, China’s progress in AI. In contrast to pro-government media, which often frame the topic within narratives of China’s rise and Western decline, government-critical outlets generally adopt a more neutral tone. Their reporting tends to highlight, for example, the comparatively low costs of developing DeepSeek relative to its American counterparts.

Fringe actors

The openly pro-Russian Telegram channel Oroszok az Igazság Oldalán (Russians on the Side of Justice) produced 18 posts on China and AI and received 760 interactions, placing it among the top 30 most-interacted-with sources. Its content overwhelmingly promotes pro-Chinese narratives, particularly emphasizing Western decline amid China’s technological ascent.

Channels associated with anti-COVID-19 vaccine conspiracy theories were also visible in the discourse. Among them, the A Nagy Ébredés (The Great Awakening) Telegram channel ranks among the top 10 in terms of post volume, though its interaction numbers remain low. One post, for example, commented on BMW’s announcement to integrate DeepSeek AI into its Chinese-produced vehicles, mocking Europe’s lag in AI development and arguing that “were it not for the EU’s bans, we [in Europe] would also be using Chinese AI already.”

Poland: AI, Euroscepticism, and sovereignty

In the Polish information space, China’s advancements in AI have become deeply embedded in broader debates around European integration, the relationship between democratic values and technological progress, and the global economic outlook. This analysis is based on 1,078 posts published between December 1, 2024, and May 31, 2025. The discourse was most active on X (formerly Twitter), which accounted for 70% of the posts, followed by Telegram (12%) and Facebook (12%).

Eurosceptic voices frequently cited China’s progress in AI to criticize Europe’s perceived technological stagnation, framing Beijing’s breakthroughs as both a challenge and a benchmark. Simultaneously, concerns about digital authoritarianism surfaced in high-engagement posts highlighting censorship in Chinese large language models (LLMs)—particularly DeepSeek’s refusal to address the Tian’anmen Square crackdown. Other commentators emphasized AI’s strategic role in China’s economic planning and its push for self-sufficiency. These narratives presented China’s AI surge as a technological milestone and an indicator of shifting global economic dynamics.

Regarding temporal trends, the highest volume of posts and interactions occurred in the second half of January 2025, with January 28 marking the peak. This activity followed the January 20 release of DeepSeek R1—a Chinese LLM positioned as a rival to OpenAI’s o1—which quickly topped the US App Store and coincided with an 18% drop in Nvidia’s stock on January 27. These overlapping technological and market events drove intense online engagement across all three dominant narratives. The top posts included a satirical critique of DeepSeek’s self-censorship, a far-right former MP, Robert Winnicki, denouncing the EU’s AI inertia, and a teaser from then-presidential candidate Rafał Trzaskowski promising new domestic AI initiatives.

Chinese accounts

Chinese state-linked actors maintained a consistent but low-engagement presence in the online debates about China, Europe, and AI. The Polish-language section of China Radio International (CRI) published 46 posts, though most attracted minimal interaction. The outlet’s most engaging Facebook post (159 interactions; approx. 1.1% engagement rate) featured an AI-powered canteen in Shanghai, highlighting convenience and innovation, but disconnected from strategic or geopolitical narratives. Other high-performing CRI posts touched on economic security, either implicitly—by emphasizing the need for capacity-building in the responsible use of AI over “excessive regulation”—or more directly by addressing Western efforts to restrict Chinese access to key technologies enabling AI development.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy in Warsaw used its X account to present China’s AI development as socially beneficial. Posts promoted AI applications in mobility assistance and eldercare, framing Chinese technology as a “force for good.” Despite these efforts, the embassy’s messaging remained largely formal and technocratic, struggling to gain traction in Poland’s online discourse, where debates about AI were more often shaped by domestic actors and centered on issues such as free speech, competitiveness, and strategic autonomy.

Domestic political actors

Coinciding with the presidential campaign, the intensifying discourse around global AI developments drew engagement from politicians across the Polish political spectrum. Figures from both the ruling October 15 coalition and the predominantly right and far-right opposition contributed commentary, often reflecting the three dominant narratives identified earlier.

In a January 28 Facebook post (4,221 interactions), then-presidential candidate Rafał Trzaskowski aligned himself with the EU’s strategic autonomy agenda, declaring, “We don’t have to be dependent on China and the USA for AI.” His statement echoed wider calls for Europe to reduce reliance on foreign technologies, reinforcing his pro-European stance and appealing to voters concerned about digital sovereignty.

Others focused on domestic policy failings. Janusz Cieszyński, an opposition MP from Law and Justice and former Minister of Digital Affairs, posted on X on January 29 (1,339 interactions), criticizing the Polish government’s limited funding for AI R&D, especially when compared to much larger investments by the US and China. His post lamented the need for crowdfunding campaigns to support Polish AI initiatives, underscoring the demand for a more ambitious national strategy. In a related message, Janusz Piechociński, former Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Beijing-friendly Poland-Asia Chamber of Industry and Trade, highlighted AI’s role in shaping a new “global geopolitical fault line.” Former MP Robert Winnicki, affiliated with the far-right Confederation, framed the issue around freedom of speech, attacking Chinese AI models for censoring politically sensitive historical topics. His January 27 post (457 interactions) coincided with a broader wave of similar criticisms in Poland and beyond.

Meanwhile, center-left MEP Dariusz Joński used the debate to spotlight concerns about talent retention. In a January 30 X post (752 interactions), referencing a conversation with Education Minister Barbara Nowacka during her visit to the European Parliament, he warned of a potential brain drain to China and the US if Poland and other EU member states fail to provide compelling research opportunities. These varied interventions reflect a growing political awareness of AI’s strategic implications across ideological lines.

Media outlets

Media contributions to the Polish debate on AI and China’s technological developments are marked by considerable diversity in content and the range of actors producing them. The dataset includes a high volume of posts from traditional and new media outlets, encompassing generalist platforms and specialist science and technology publications.

Rzeczpospolita, a centrist daily, provided a neutral and fact-based overview of the US–China rivalry in AI, placing DeepSeek’s emergence in a balanced context without sensationalism or overt bias. By contrast, Kanał Zero, part of Poland’s growing “new media” ecosystem, aired a long-form YouTube discussion delving into China’s AI ambitions. While not explicitly partisan, the program expressed skepticism toward European competitiveness and regulatory frameworks, aligning with broader narratives of strategic anxiety.

On the far right, Hanna Shen, a Taiwan-based commentator, framed DeepSeek’s success as emblematic of Western decline. In a post on X, she wrote, “Europe, the cradle of the Industrial Revolution, is now a pariah.” This emotionally charged statement illustrates how fringe voices weaponize Chinese technological advances in anti-EU rhetoric.

Meanwhile, Niebezpiecznik, a well-regarded tech-focused outlet, published a January 28 post on X (1,552 interactions) offering a nuanced assessment of DeepSeek’s technical capabilities. The post acknowledged the model’s sophistication while openly raising concerns about its political limitations, providing a rare instance of commentary that moved beyond the report’s three dominant narrative frames.

Fringe actors

Fringe actors also played a notable role in shaping the discourse on China and AI within the Polish information space. One of the most prominent content producers in the dataset was Bądź na Bieżąco, a YouTube channel run by Maciej Podstawka. His content frequently amplifies pro-Russian, anti-Ukrainian, and far-right narratives, as previously flagged by the Przeciwdziałamy Dezinformacji Foundation and the investigative outlet OKO Press. In several high-engagement videos, Podstawka lamented the EU’s lag in technological innovation and praised China’s rapid progress, particularly emphasizing the DeepSeek model.

A February 4 YouTube video—ranked second in the dataset by number of interactions (8,371)—succinctly characterizes the US as the home of OpenAI, China as the birthplace of DeepSeek, and the EU as a bloc that mandates plastic caps remain attached to bottle rims. This jab at Brussels’ overregulation references Directive (EU) 2019/904 on single-use plastics. These narratives echo findings from earlier reports: China is consistently deployed as a foil to highlight perceived European inefficiency, reinforcing a wider current of Polish right-wing Euroscepticism.

In contrast, the China-friendly account Kotbot adopted a more data-driven perspective, framing Beijing’s AI ambitions as part of a long-term industrial strategy aimed at global leadership and technological self-sufficiency. In a notable April 9 post on X, Kotbot argued that Western tariffs and containment strategies are unlikely to significantly slow China’s trajectory in AI and related fields. Together, these fringe perspectives—one conspiratorial, the other analytical—converge on a common theme: China is outpacing the West, offering both a critique and a cautionary lens to view the shifting dynamics of technological power.

Slovakia: Seeing China’s AI through a domestic lens

In the Slovak information space, discussions of China’s advances in AI are deeply interwoven with broader debates about Slovakia’s geopolitical orientation, national technological ambitions, and the future of democratic governance. This analysis draws on 710 social media posts published between December 2024 and June 2025, with the conversation dominated by Instagram, Facebook, and Telegram. Eurosceptic and anti-establishment voices frequently cite China’s AI breakthroughs to underscore Europe’s perceived lack of strategic vision, framing Beijing’s rapid progress as both a cautionary tale and a potential model. At the same time, concerns about digital authoritarianism surface regularly, particularly in high-engagement posts criticizing Chinese LLMs like DeepSeek for censorship and state-driven information control. Commentary on AI’s geopolitical relevance is also widespread, with frequent comparisons between Chinese and Western investments and their implications for Europe’s competitiveness and sovereignty.

Chinese accounts

As highlighted in previous situation reports, the Slovak media space reveals a striking pattern: debates about China and artificial intelligence are conducted almost entirely without Chinese actors. Across hundreds of posts in the dataset, virtually all commentary, framing, and interpretation of China’s technological rise come from Slovak political figures, local media, and alternative channels, not from Chinese officials, state-linked companies, or embassy accounts. This one-sidedness means that the Slovak information space discusses China’s AI ambitions without direct input or narrative control from Chinese sources, leaving the debate largely shaped by domestic priorities and projections.

Domestic political actors

Amid shifting geopolitical dynamics and the accelerating discourse around AI, Slovak political actors have increasingly engaged with narratives that position China as both a technological frontrunner and a systemic rival. While the domestic debate is not yet centered on AI policy per se, prominent figures from across the political spectrum have leveraged China’s rise in AI to frame broader ideological and strategic concerns. The Facebook post with the highest number of interactions—published on January 28 (6,489 interactions) by former foreign minister and presidential contender Ivan Korčok—warned against “naivety toward autocratic powers,” implicitly referencing China’s AI expansion as emblematic of a global contest between democratic and authoritarian models.

Conversely, former education minister Juraj Draxler highlighted China’s rapid development of AI capabilities as a symptom of Western decline. He framed DeepSeek as evidence of Beijing’s strategic advantage over a fragmented, plutocratic West, warning that AI will soon automate political manipulation and deepen societal divides. While critical of China’s appeal, he praised its emphasis on science and education, contrasting it with what he described as Europe’s self-imposed decline. Meanwhile, Monika Beňová, an MEP from the SMER party, cited Chinese technological progress in AI as a contrast to the EU’s supposed fixation on plastic bottle caps. Other SMER-affiliated channels later shared her post.

Though references to China remain peripheral, their deployment across the political spectrum underscores how China’s technological rise is a proxy in debates over sovereignty, global alignment, and the perceived erosion of Western primacy.

Media outlets

Among Slovakia’s mainstream media, Stratitup, FonTech.sk, and Refresher News have emerged as key platforms shaping public discourse on China and AI. Stratitup, the channel with the most interactions (21,800), published several of the most widely shared posts on the topic. One Instagram post (4,156 interactions) framed the US as losing top AI talent to China, a narrative reinforcing concerns about a shifting global power balance. Another post (3,912 interactions) explicitly criticized China’s AI model DeepSeek for censoring politically sensitive topics, using it to underscore authoritarian digital practices. FonTech.sk, a tech-focused outlet ranking second in interactions (15,800), echoed this framing in a post (2,199 interactions) highlighting Baidu’s AI patent activity, implicitly questioning Europe’s readiness to compete. Refresher News adopted a similarly cautionary tone, warning about the international expansion of DeepSeek. Interestingly, traditional newspapers such as Denník N and SME appeared only marginally in the dataset, with none of their posts ranking among the most engaged content on China or AI. This suggests that legacy outlets may cover these issues in text-heavy formats, but the most impactful public messaging occurs on visually driven, youth-oriented platforms.

Fringe actors

A distinct cluster of fringe and conspiracy-aligned media outlets—including Hlavné správy, Infocentrála, Púchoviny, KSB Správy, and the influential Open World Foundation—amplify narratives about China and AI that sharply diverge from mainstream coverage. Rather than focusing on policy or innovation, these actors portray China’s technological rise as evidence of Western decline, elite failure, or an impending civilizational collapse. KSB Správy, for instance, claimed that China is ahead of the US in more domains than commonly believed, including cognitive warfare and artificial intelligence. The Open World Foundation mixed satire with derision, posting statements such as, “The EU’s $56 million investment in AI is 2,625 times less than China’s—oh, and they spent more reforming plastic bottle caps,” or, in reference to Chinese tech dominance, “Developers at DeepSeek got their AI running on Huawei’s chip—just 5% performance loss, 70% cheaper. Bye bye NVIDIA monopoly.” Other posts from the same outlet declared, “China cannot be stopped—Alibaba just released its powerful AI… outperforming everyone, including DeepSeek. And it’s all free.” Meanwhile, Púchoviny and Casus Belli Live advanced claims that hidden elites control AI and global technology, further fueling institutional distrust. Despite their lack of traditional credibility, these outlets’ high output and emotionally charged, shareable content make them significant drivers of public skepticism toward both technological progress and the Western political order.