 "Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and China's President Xi Jinping speak as they prepare for a group during the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, November 19, 2024. File Image/Reuters")
As Australia prepares to vote in its 2025 federal election on May 3 , a growing number of candidates — from major parties and independents alike — are ramping up their outreach to Chinese-Australian voters via platforms like WeChat and RedNote.
Once eyed with suspicion over national security concerns, these apps have now become central to political campaigning, particularly in electorates with significant Chinese-speaking populations.
How Chinese social media platforms are being used in Australia
WeChat, used daily by nearly 60 per cent of Chinese Australians according to the Lowy Institute, and RedNote, with around 70,000 monthly Australian users, are now hosting a surge in political content.
Candidates, especially from the Liberal Party, have dramatically increased their presence on these platforms since January, according to researchers like Dr. Fan Yang of the University of Melbourne.
“We have seen a higher number of political advertising by Liberal Party members,” she told ABC News. Her RECapture project team has tracked over 220 authorised Liberal ads on WeChat, compared to just 35 for Labor.
This digital push comes amid the Coalition’s efforts to regain support from Chinese-Australian voters — a demographic that swung decisively against them in the 2022 federal election.
Analysts and party reviews have cited factors such as the Morrison government’s harsh rhetoric on China and mishandling of pandemic-era racism as key reasons for the shift.
What key battlegrounds are witnessing this strategy
Several high-stakes electorates have emerged as focal points in this digital battle. In Bennelong, where nearly 30 per cent of residents have Chinese heritage, Liberal candidate Scott Yung is running an extensive multilingual campaign on both WeChat and RedNote.
“Whether it’s Chinese, Korean, or any other language’s social media, it’s about making sure as many Australians as possible — regardless of background — can fully understand the information and make the best choices,” he told SBS Chinese.
Yung’s posts appear in Mandarin, Cantonese and Shanghainese — a strategy aimed at improving comprehension in a community where only 25-26 per cent of those speaking Mandarin or Cantonese at home are proficient in English.
Labor’s Jerome Laxale, the sitting MP in Bennelong, is also active on Chinese social platforms, as are candidates in other key seats such as Reid (Sally Sitou and Grange Chung), Chisholm (Carina Garland and Katie Allen), and Menzies (Keith Wolahan and Gabriel Ng).
In Bradfield, one of Australia’s most Chinese-populated electorates, Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian and independent challenger Nicolette Boele are both using WeChat to reach voters. With retiring MP Paul Fletcher vacating the seat, the competition is expected to be fierce.
How cultural connection is meeting political messaging
Beyond direct policy discussion, many candidates are using lifestyle content to connect with voters on a cultural level. Posts of politicians enjoying Chinese food, attending Lunar New Year celebrations, or shopping at Asian grocery stores have become common.
Labor MP Sally Sitou described these platforms as essential tools in multicultural engagement: “You wouldn’t expect to be speaking to young people through The Australian newspaper — you’d expect to be speaking to them through the channels they use, like Instagram and TikTok,” she said.
“The same can be said for the Chinese community. They are mostly now on WeChat and Little Red Book (or RedNote), so that’s the best way to get in touch with them.”
Her Liberal challenger Grange Chung agreed, telling ABC News, “We’re a very diverse electorate, so I need to reach out to particularly, say, the Chinese community, through the social media they use.”
How misinformation is also spreading
The popularity of Chinese social media platforms also raises concerns about misinformation and content control. On RedNote, deepfake videos of opposition leader Peter Dutton circulated earlier this year, complete with AI-generated Mandarin voiceovers misrepresenting his policies.
Although some were removed, others remained accessible, showcasing the challenges of moderating political content in real time.
Voters like Linsey from Bennelong acknowledge the spread of both accurate and misleading content on these apps. “Some people post videos telling you one party is good and the other is bad, but without much basis,” she said.
However, another voter, Xiao Fan from Sydney, expressed confidence in the community’s ability to discern truth from fiction: “We have our own judgement. We also learn a lot from newspapers, radio, and community events.”
How voter engagement has changed in Australia
Despite concerns over foreign interference and content censorship, Chinese social media is now deeply embedded in Australia’s electioneering landscape. Candidates are recognising that traditional outreach may no longer be enough in electorates with large and linguistically diverse communities.
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said in interview with SBS Chinese, “In this election, people will hear your voices on SBS, but they’ll also see and hear content on social media and follow discussions in the community… People need to know the differences between the two parties.”
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With election day looming and competition tightening in marginal seats, campaigning on platforms like WeChat and RedNote is no longer optional — it’s essential. The digital battleground has expanded, and for many candidates, it might just be where elections are won or lost in Australia.
With inputs from agencies