An unusual incident involving Chinese social media creators has triggered serious questions about digital misinformation, international image-building and the use of misleading online content to influence public perceptions of countries.
According to an investigation published by Bangladesh’s leading newspaper Prothom Alo on November 6, approximately 150 Chinese nationals have reportedly been recording and livestreaming videos from impoverished neighbourhoods in Dhaka, Bangladesh, while presenting these locations to their audiences as parts of New Delhi, India.
The videos reportedly show narrow streets, modest houses, drainage channels, roadside tea stalls and economically disadvantaged communities. However, the controversy is not simply about filming poverty. The central allegation is that footage recorded in Bangladesh is being deliberately misrepresented as footage from India, accompanied by disparaging commentary about Indian living conditions, sanitation and everyday life.
The revelations have raised concerns about whether social media content is being used to construct a misleading international narrative about India.
Dhaka Footage Presented as New Delhi
The reported activity has primarily been observed in Uttara’s Sector 12 and the adjoining Tekpara neighbourhood in Dhaka.
According to the investigation, Chinese nationals have been seen moving through residential lanes with mobile phones, recording their surroundings and broadcasting live to audiences on Chinese social media platforms, including Douyin and WeChat.
One of the reported incidents involved a Chinese livestreamer identified as Mianmian, who reportedly introduced herself as being from China’s Sichuan province. During a livestream on November 1, she was seen recording beside a canal in Uttara’s Sector 12 and allegedly telling viewers that the location was New Delhi.
The accompanying commentary reportedly described the houses as extremely dirty, underdeveloped and unhygienic.
In another incident, a Chinese national identified as Wang Wei was reportedly seen recording at a roadside tea stall in Tekpara. According to the translated commentary cited in the investigation, he made an insulting claim that the tea consumed by local residents was prepared using cow urine and dirty river water.
Such statements, when presented as descriptions of Indian society, can create an entirely false impression among viewers who have no independent means of verifying the actual location.
Approximately 150 Chinese Nationals Identified
The figure of approximately 150 Chinese nationals has attracted particular attention.
Reports indicate that Chinese creators have been repeatedly visiting and recording in these neighbourhoods over a period of months. Their activities have reportedly included filming residential streets, local businesses and ordinary residents.
Some reports have also raised concerns about creators entering private homes and recording domestic spaces, creating additional questions about residents’ privacy and consent.
The investigation reportedly examined Chinese-language livestreams, with translations initially assisted by Google Translate and cross-checked by four Bangladeshis familiar with the Chinese language.
However, the exact number of individuals involved, their organisational structure, funding arrangements and the identity of anyone commissioning the content have not been conclusively established.
Is This an Organised Campaign Against India’s Image?
The most significant question emerging from the controversy is whether these activities are independent commercial content operations or part of a coordinated effort to influence perceptions of India.
The repeated presentation of Bangladeshi locations as Indian locations, combined with derogatory descriptions of Indian living conditions, has understandably prompted allegations of a possible disinformation campaign.
There is also an alternative explanation that deserves examination. Earlier reporting by Bangladesh’s Kaler Kantho indicated that at least one streamer described the activity as connected with product promotion for Chinese audiences.
That explanation, however, does not resolve why locations in Bangladesh were allegedly being presented as New Delhi or why the broadcasts included statements portraying the residents as Indians.
The distinction between a commercial operation and a coordinated propaganda operation is important. Both possibilities require investigation, but they should not be treated as established facts without supporting evidence.
How Misleading Content Can Damage India’s International Reputation
The controversy goes beyond the geographical misrepresentation of individual videos. It highlights how misleading digital content can influence perceptions of an entire country.
International audiences increasingly form impressions of destinations through social media videos, livestreams, short-form content and online articles. Many viewers do not independently verify the location, original recording or context of the footage they consume.
When a video recorded in one country is falsely presented as footage from another, the audience is effectively being given fabricated geographical information.
If repeated across hundreds of accounts, such content can create a distorted picture of the targeted country.
For India, the potential consequences deserve attention across several areas.
1. Damage to India’s Tourism Image
Tourism is closely connected to a country’s international reputation.
Foreign travellers often research destinations through YouTube, Instagram, TikTok alternatives, travel blogs and online discussions before deciding where to visit.
Repeated exposure to videos falsely depicting Indian cities as extremely unhygienic, unsafe or underdeveloped could influence the perceptions of prospective visitors.
Such content may reinforce existing stereotypes and discourage people from exploring India’s actual cultural, historical and geographical diversity.
India has major international tourism destinations, including Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Varanasi, Mumbai, Kerala and Rajasthan. Their reputation should not be determined by fabricated geographical claims or selectively presented footage.
2. Online Racism and Stereotyping Against Indians
Another serious consequence is the potential reinforcement of online racism.
When misleading videos are repeatedly circulated with derogatory descriptions of Indian people, viewers may begin associating an entire population with poverty, unhygienic conditions or negative stereotypes.
This can contribute to hostile online discussions, discriminatory comments and racist generalisations against Indians living, studying or working overseas.
It is particularly concerning when misinformation is used to turn genuine socioeconomic challenges into an instrument for humiliating an entire nationality.
India, like every large country, has poverty, sanitation challenges and unequal living conditions. These issues are real and deserve honest discussion. But deliberately attributing footage from another country to India is not legitimate criticism or journalism.
3. Impact on Brand India and International Business
A country’s international image is not limited to tourism. It also influences investment, trade, manufacturing, education and consumer confidence.
The perception of a country can affect how foreign customers evaluate its businesses, services and products.
India has spent decades developing its international identity as a major manufacturing, technology, pharmaceutical, services and innovation destination.
A sustained stream of misleading content could potentially undermine confidence in that image, particularly if viewers begin associating India with inaccurate narratives about poor infrastructure, hygiene or living standards.
It is important to distinguish between actual product quality and national stereotypes. Indian products should be judged on measurable standards, performance, certification and customer experience—not on misleading videos or online prejudice.
4. The Role of Articles and Search Engines
The problem may become more complicated when misleading footage is reproduced in online articles, blogs or social media posts without adequate verification.
An inaccurate video can initially circulate among a limited audience. When websites publish articles repeating its claims, the narrative may gain further visibility.
Search engines and social media platforms can expose such material to audiences who never encountered the original livestream.
This creates a broader information-integrity problem: false geographical claims can become increasingly difficult to distinguish from genuine reporting when they are repeatedly republished.