WASHINGTON (AP) – When veteran U.S. diplomat Kurt Campbell visits the Solomon Islands to counter Beijing’s influence in the South Pacific nation, how far China will try to spread its message. I noticed it right away.
The Biden administration’s czar of Asia woke up one morning in 2022 to a long article published in his local paper. US operates chemistry and biology research institute in Ukrainewhich Washington claims is a complete lie. Russia startedfalse and inflammatory claims are heavily amplified This is due to China’s huge overseas propaganda machine.
Campbell told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in July that this was another example of “clearly effective Russian and Chinese disinformation.”
Two years later, this claim still resonates online. China’s far-reaching efforts to reshape global perceptions. This campaign, which costs billions of dollars a year, is becoming increasingly sophisticated thanks to: artificial intelligence. China’s operations have drawn the attention of intelligence analysts and policymakers in Washington, who have vowed to combat any actions that could influence the November election or undermine U.S. interests. .
A key tactic is a network of websites purporting to be legitimate news outlets, distributing pro-China reporting that often rivals official statements and positions from the Chinese government.
Shannon Van Sant, a consultant at the Hong Kong Freedom Caucus Foundation, tracked a network of dozens of sites masquerading as news organizations. One site she called an attempt at legitimacy by copying the New York Times and using similar fonts and designs. The site contained strongly pro-China messages.
When Van Sant investigated the site’s reporters, no information was found. Their names did not belong to prominent journalists working in China, and their photos had clear signs of being created with AI.
“Manipulating the media is ultimately about manipulating readers and audiences, and this is detrimental to democracy and society,” Van Sant said.
Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the United States, said that allegations that China uses news sites and social media to disseminate pro-China information and influence public opinion in the United States are “full of malicious speculation against China.” “China firmly opposes this,” he said.
In addition to state media, the Chinese government uses foreign actors to convey messages, genuine or not, to lend credence to narratives favorable to the Communist Party, said Xiao Zhang, a researcher at the University of California, Berkeley’s School of Information. He says he is asking for it. . Mr. Xiao is also the editor-in-chief of China Digital Times, a bilingual news website that aggregates information in and about China.
Xiao said the Chinese government’s methods vary widely and it is often difficult to prove ties to the government. However, whether it’s a journalist with an American-sounding name or an Indian influencer, a pro-China message is consistently conveyed.
“The implicit message is the same: the Chinese Communist Party is working for the people,” Xiao said.
Analysts at a cybersecurity firm logically identified 1,200 websites that published articles from Russian or Chinese state media. These sites target specific audiences and often have names like traditional news organizations or defunct newspapers.
Unlike Russia or Iran, Clear settings displayed In the American presidential election campaign, Beijing is becoming more cautious We focused on spreading positive content about China.
These sites are not owned by China but operate Chinese content. If you look at the content specifically about the US election logically, 20% can be traced back to Chinese or Russian state media.
“There’s a good chance these stories will impact U.S. audiences without even knowing where they’re coming from,” said Alex Nelson, senior manager of strategy and analysis at Logical.
According to the Gallup World Poll, more countries surveyed view the U.S. positively, but overall the percentage of countries with negative views of both the U.S. and China has increased in 2015. higher than before, indicating that the United States does not appear to be any more advanced than before. China.
Some U.S. officials want to increase spending to level the playing field. House of Commons this month approved the bill It would authorize $325 million annually through 2027 to counter China’s global influence, including disinformation campaigns. The bill still requires Senate approval.
“We’re in a global competition for influence with China, and as much as we want to win it, we can’t do it on a middle-power budget,” said Gregory Meeks, a Democratic congressman from New York. I can’t do that.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for a systematic construction of China’s narrative to give his country a global voice “worthy” of its international status.
The Chinese government is investing in state-run media outlets such as Xinhua News Agency and China Central Television to reach a global audience in a variety of languages and platforms. Local-level media groups are establishing “international communication centers” to build their presence abroad with websites, news channels and social media accounts.
The Chinese government has also entered into partnerships with media around the world, and the article Campbell read in the Solomon Islands is likely the result of that effort.
China’s expansion is linked to global economic competition Advantages of electric cars, computer chipabout AI and quantum computing, said Jarrett Riddick, a senior fellow at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technologies.
“Countries that lead in emerging technologies will be the ones that will have a big advantage going forward,” Riddick said.
To tell its history, the Chinese government has not hesitated to use fake personas. A 2023 State Department report details the case of a published author named Yi Fan, who was initially described as an analyst for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr. Yi became a journalist and then an independent analyst.
Yi’s details changed, but the message did not. Through his published commentaries and books, Yi touts the close ties between China and Africa, praises the Chinese government’s approach to environmental sustainability, and argues that China must counter the West’s distorted narrative. insisted.
Then there was Wilson Edwards. Swiss virologist He was cited in Chinese media as an expert on the novel coronavirus who criticized the US response. However, Swiss authorities found no evidence that he existed.
“If you are there, we would love to meet you!” the Swiss embassy in Beijing wrote on social media.
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Associated Press writer Amelia Thomson DeVoe contributed from Washington.