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27 October 2022
Xueyin Zha on WeChat’s role in Australian democracy as seen from the grassroots
In this episode of Conversations, Hervé Lemahieu speaks with Xueyin Zha and Jennifer Hsu about the Chinese messaging app and the role in it plays in the democratic participation of Chinese-Australians. They discuss the inherent risks and drawbacks of WeChat, such as censorship, but also explore how it became a medium of outreach and civic engagement for Chinese-Australians during the 2021 New South Wales local elections. The conversation references Xueyin's recent Lowy Institute Analysis paper titled WeChat's role in Australian democracy: A grassroots view.
Featuring
Hervé Lemahieu
Hervé Lemahieu was a senior researcher at the Lowy Institute and served as Director of Research from 2021 to 2025.
Jennifer Hsu
Jennifer Y.J. Hsu is Associate Professor and Program Director of Research and Policy at the Whitlam Institute, Western Sydney University. She was previously working in the Australian Public Service on minerals and resources policy.