The US State Department has issued a report accusing the Chinese government of expanding efforts to control information and promote “digital authoritarianism” both within China and globally. The report, released by the Global Engagement Center, highlights concerns about China’s influence over the global information environment and its potential to reshape it. It alleges that China spends billions of dollars a year on foreign information manipulation and has pressed state media to strengthen their propaganda efforts. The report warns that if these efforts are not countered, China could reshape the international order to the detriment of individual liberties and national sovereignty worldwide.
The report provides several examples of China’s control tactics, particularly in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. It states that the popular social media app TikTok, owned by ByteDance, maintains an internal list of people likely blocked or restricted from all ByteDance platforms for reasons such as advocating for Uyghur independence. In addition, the report reveals an agreement between the Chinese government and a local newspaper in an East African country, where paid articles with no direct connection to the Chinese government were published. It also mentions that phones made by Chinese company Xiaomi in Lithuania were pre-programmed to remotely censor phrases such as “Free Tibet” and “democracy movement.”
The report further highlights China’s cyberattacks and threats against overseas Uyghurs, stating that Beijing initiated such actions against more than 5,500 individuals between 1997 and 2022. It also accuses the Chinese government of spreading disinformation about Ukraine in cooperation with Russia, echoing the Kremlin’s claims.
While the report acknowledges that China’s efforts have encountered setbacks in democratic countries, it emphasizes the need to counter these manipulation and control tactics. James Rubin, the Special Envoy and Coordinator of the Global Engagement Center, warned that if information manipulation is not stopped, it could lead to the destruction of democratic values and the secure world of rules and rights.
In response to the report, a Chinese Embassy spokesperson, Liu Pengyu, claimed that it was “spreading disinformation” and accused it of heightening ideological confrontation. Liu argued that the report was another tool to keep China down and support American hegemony.
The release of this report underscores the increasing tensions between China and the US over information control and disinformation. The US continues to raise concerns about China’s growing influence and its impact on democratic values and individual freedoms. As both countries vie for control over the global information environment, the battle over ideas and disinformation is likely to intensify.