CNN Did NOT Report on a “Leaked Chinese Strategy Document” Predicting Western Collapse

A viral claim circulating on multiple platforms alleges that CNN reported on a leaked Chinese geopolitical strategy document. According to these posts, the document predicts the collapse of the United States and Western Europe by 2050 due to cultural and demographic conflict. It also supposedly states that Chinese leaders regard multiculturalism as “cultural suicide.” However, we found that the claim is false.

Social Media Posts

The viral claim include a screenshot styled as a CNN tweet stating: “Leaked Chinese strategy document predicts collapse of U.S. and Western Europe by 2050, citing multiculturalism as cultural suicide.”

Source | Archive

Source | Archive

Fact Check

To verify this claim, we searched CNN’s official Twitter/X accounts (@CNN) using keywords such as “leaked Chinese strategy document,” “multiculturalism,” “2050,” and “collapse” during the relevant timeframe. We also examined archived versions of these accounts on the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine from when the screenshot first circulated. Our investigation found no evidence of the alleged post on any CNN platform. Searches on CNN.com likewise yielded no matching articles. Furthermore, Reuters confirms that CNN representatives have explicitly stated that both the tweet and the story are fabricated.

Further checks also revealed that the image embedded in the fabricated tweet was not CNN’s own photograph. A reverse image search traced the photo to a Reuters news article covering Xi Jinping’s call with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman amid regional tensions in May 2019.

CNN normally uses its own photography or, when it publishes wire images, credits them clearly. The uncredited use of a Reuters image in the viral graphic is another strong indicator that the screenshot is fake.

What Xi Actually Said

While the CNN tweet is fake, the Chinese leader have made statements about changing global power. In 2020, Xi Jinping said “The East is rising and the West is declining” during a Communist Party meeting. This phrase has become common in Chinese political discussions to express the view that Western countries are losing influence while China and other Asian nations are becoming more powerful (Source).

Xi has also promoted the idea of “cultural confidence,” describing culture as “the foundation and soul of the nation” and encouraging China to build its socialist culture with unique Chinese characteristics (Source). Official party documents like Document No. 9 (2013) warned against adopting “Western values” such as complete press freedom and universal human rights, viewing them as threats to China’s ideology. In 2023, Xi introduced the Global Civilization Initiative, which promotes respect between different civilizations while opposing the idea that Western values should apply universally. Experts note that while this messaging emphasizes China’s cultural independence and criticizes Western influence, it doesn’t actually predict that Western nations will collapse.

Official Statements on Multiculturalism and the West

Xi Jinping has consistently promoted multilateralism and cooperation rather than predicting collapse. At the 2025 China-EU Summit, Xi declared that “there are no fundamental conflicts of interest or geopolitical contradictions between China and the EU,” calling for both sides to provide “more stability and certainty to the world”. China’s diplomatic messaging also stresses “civilizational diversity”, arguing that cultures can coexist and learn from one another. This stands in direct contrast to the fabricated CNN claim that Chinese leaders see multiculturalism as “cultural suicide”. (Source: Diplomat, Australian Institute of International Affair)

China’s Actual Geopolitical Narrative

Rather than celebrating or promoting Western collapse, Chinese state media typically frames the U.S. as a waning hegemon within a shifting multipolar order. Beijing positions itself as a defender of multilateral trade systems in opposition to what it calls “U.S. hegemonism and unilateralism” (Source). Chinese leadership frequently highlights the vision of a “community of shared future for mankind”, a slogan emphasizing interdependence and cooperation rather than confrontation or destruction.

Analysts note that China views Europe as a “wavering middle force” in its rivalry with the U.S., not as a target for collapse. Beijing’s strategy often focuses on driving wedges between Europe and the United States through closer economic ties and reducing European dependence on American leadership, rather than undermining European societies themselves (Source).

Conclusion

The claim that CNN reported on a leaked Chinese strategy document predicting the collapse of the U.S. and Western Europe by 2050, and labeling multiculturalism as “cultural suicide,” is false.

There is no evidence of such a CNN tweet or article’s existence, and CNN has confirmed that the post is not authentic. While Chinese leaders have discussed changing global dynamics and emphasized their own cultural values, their public statements generally focus on international cooperation and respect between different civilizations rather than predicting the downfall of Western nations.