Beijing's latest propaganda drive to sell unification with Taiwan has landed badly at home, embarrassing for the Chinese government and unhelpful for its message abroad.

• A campaign meant to promote unification with Taiwan is drawing alarm inside China instead of support.
• A young Chinese boy's complaint that ordinary people are treated like work animals struck a nerve and spread to 140,000 viewers.
• The reaction points at daily life in China — long hours, low pay, and little say — rather than at Taiwan.
• Taiwanese media is using the backlash as proof that Beijing's pitch is unconvincing even to its own citizens.

Outlook: Expect Beijing to scrub the viral complaint and keep pushing the unification line, with more of these online backfires likely.