By AFP and Entorno | 2023-10-02

WASHINGTON -- China is spending billions of dollars globally to spread disinformation and threatening to cause a "sharp contraction" in freedom of speech worldwide, warned a US State Department report published last Thursday (September 28).

China's "global information manipulation is not simply a matter of public diplomacy -- but a challenge to the integrity of the global information space," the report said.

"Unchecked, Beijing's efforts could result in a future in which technology exported by the PRC (People's Republic of China), co-opted local governments, and fear of Beijing's direct retaliation produce a sharp contraction of global freedom of expression."

The report, released by the State Department's Global Engagement Center (GEC), said Beijing spends billions of dollars annually on "foreign information manipulation" through the use of propaganda, disinformation and censorship, while promoting positive news about China and its ruling Communist Party.

At the same time, it said, China suppresses critical information that contradicts its narratives on contentious issues such as Taiwan, human rights and its flagging domestic economy.

"When you look at the pieces of the puzzle and you put it together, you see a breathtaking ambition on the part of the PRC to seek information dominance in key regions of the world," James Rubin, GEC special envoy and coordinator, told reporters.

"If we don't allow this information manipulation to be stopped, there's going to be a slow, steady destruction of democratic values," he said. "We don't want to see an Orwellian mix of fact and fiction in our world."

The report said China's approach to information manipulation includes promoting "digital authoritarianism," exploiting international organizations and exercising control of Chinese-language media.

Beijing, it added, had also acquired stakes in foreign media, sponsored online influencers and sought to co-opt foreign political elites and journalists.

These efforts could enable Beijing to "reshape the global information environment," the report said.

The report accused China of exploiting social media site WeChat to disseminate disinformation targeting "Chinese-language speakers residing in democracies," and Chinese technology giant ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, of seeking to "block potential critics of Beijing from using its platforms."

Disinformation in Latin America

An article published in Time magazine on July 11 revealed that suspected fake news agencies in Chile, Costa Rica and Paraguay published at least three identical pro-China news items on their Twitter (now called X) accounts in May with very little time difference between the posts.

These accounts were later found to be part of a small pro-Beijing network targeting audiences in Latin American countries. The network was using Twitter accounts to spread pro-China propaganda and disinformation.

The revelation that these accounts were part of a pro-Beijing network demonstrates that China is using social media as an alternative to the traditional methods of persuasion it has used for several years, such as cultivating relationships with journalists and media executives.

The Time magazine article, supported by an investigation by Nisos, a cybersecurity firm based in Virginia, suggests that pro-China propaganda on social networks in Latin America is part of "an expanding Chinese influence operation in the region, designed to bolster the country's status as a top regional ally and trading partner."

Nisos found that the Twitter accounts in question appeared to be run by a single operator who promoted strategic news content in Spanish. Nisos also claimed that the accounts were funded by Beijing to create positive narratives about China and to assist in its political and diplomatic efforts.

The accounts, which are set up to circumvent X's state-media labeling policy, are "tied to China News Service, the country's second-largest state-owned news agency, which operates several international bureaus," according to Time.