While it is questionable whether the Chinese government genuinely cares about universal human rights and racial equality, its propaganda apparatus has seemingly become an active “supporter” of the global Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement — mostly in the form of lambasting the U.S. government and system.

As Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian remarked, “Racism against ethnic minorities in the U.S. is a chronic disease of American society.” In a tweet, another Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying, replied “I can’t breathe,” which has become a rallying cry for BLM, to U.S. State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus’ criticism of Beijing’s Hong Kong policies.