cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/3385576
The pager and walkie-talkie explosions that occurred in Lebanon on September 17 and 18 resulted in serious casualties and shocked the world. False information quickly circulated over social media among Chinese language users. […] For Chinese nationalists, the explosions provided an opportunity to justify the concerns about Western products and demonstrate that only Chinese-made electronic equipment can provide consumer safety.
Several themes emerged from the Chinese disinformation pieces:
The scenes that falsely depicted the explosions
The incorrect allegation that Taiwan, Israel, Japan, and the United States were part of a conspiracy network
Concerns that iPhones could also explode
The claim that wealthy Middle Eastern countries have quickly abandoned Western-made electronic devices in favor of Chinese products, particularly those made by Huawei