This study examines the dual role of social media in China as both a mechanism of algorithmic governance and a platform that reinforces domestic legitimacy while shaping the nation’s international image. The research conceptualises citizens’ engagement within state-curated digital environments by drawing on Foucault’s notion of governmentality and Habermas’s theory of the public sphere, exploring how individuals perceive, navigate, and respond to these digitally mediated spaces. Employing a qualitative methodology, the study conducted semi-structured interviews with five Chinese social media users, which facilitated context-rich insights into their digital practices, attitudes, and awareness or understanding of censorship and content manipulation. Thematic analysis revealed six central themes: Awareness of Algorithmic Curation and Information Control; Perceptions of Algorithmic Governance; Evaluating China’s Global Messaging Campaigns; Alignment Between National Image and Lived Experience; Negotiating Expression and Avoiding Censorship; and Creativity, Satire, and Indirect Resistance. Participants displayed varying degrees of acceptance, resistance, and adaptation to the state’s digitally mediated controls, reflecting a fragmented yet active public sphere. While some individuals aligned with nationalistic narratives, others expressed scepticism regarding the credibility of official communications. The findings highlight the complex interplay between control and communication, emphasising that citizens are not passive recipients of propaganda but rather active, manipulable agents navigating algorithmically constructed realities.