The latest media house to make a big deal out of the supposed involvement of Chinese leaders in the Panama Papers leak is Forbes Magazine. On Sunday, April 10, Forbes reported that China intends to suppress the revelations by stifling media and dubbing it as a western conspiracy.

China is a target of negative propaganda not only for the alleged involvement of its leaders in the Panama Papers, but also for the way that the issue has been handled. Reputable newspapers like The Guardian and New York Times have been part of the effort to undermine China in the past week.

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Unlike countries like Iceland, Russia, and the United Kingdom, where the government failed to provide a definitive response culminating in resignations and public anger, China has maintained its calm and very confidently put the speculations to rest. Meanwhile, Beijing has blocked several sites that reported speculations from the leaks as though they were facts.

While China's foreign ministry has discarded many allegations of the Panama Papers as baseless accusations, experts believe that in an era of Internet disinformation, such leaks could be a tactic to attack other nations.

While there has been much hype about the alleged leaks, the steps taken by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to curb corruption have gone under-reported. Western media have also failed to highlight the fact that President Xi Jinping not only reorganised the armed forces, but has also carried out an unparalleled crackdown on corruption.

Xi is being regarded as the strongest Chinese leader since Deng Xiaoping, with his anti-corruption initiatives making him very popular among the public.

This is not the first time Chinese leaders have been targeted by Western propaganda. Former Premier, Wen Jiabao was reported by the New York Times to have amassed huge fortunes. However, it was later revealed that the assets were mainly related to his wife and son who were involved in diamond-trading business and private equity, respectively. 

Many have questioned the credibility of the Panama papers on several grounds. It is unclear as to why such a diverse range of companies and leaders would all hire the same law firm and handover their secrets. It is also being speculated that it would require a very powerful political entity to collect documents at such an extensive scale and to then use it as a propaganda tool.

TagsUS-China relations, china, Panama Papers, New York Times interview, Forbes, Media Propaganda, Anti-corruption, President Xi Jinping, The Guardian, Western sanctions