On December 6, 2024, a policy expert reported that China is leveraging economic coercion and information operations to expand its global influence. The article begins:
China’s influence activities span economic and information domains. On the economic front, China uses subversive care to buy policy alignment and co-opt business and political elites, creating vested interests favoring cooperation with China. Beijing leverages its economic size for coercion through informal trade restrictions, nationalistic boycotts, and legalized countermeasures. On the information front, China adopts Russian disinformation tactics, using fake social media accounts to amplify propaganda and spread disinformation. The Chinese government exploits wedge issues like race and gun violence to undermine democratic legitimacy and social cohesion…
Listen here [transcript by YouTune to Text]
Key Points:
- China combines economic incentives and coercion to influence foreign elites and policies, creating dependencies that favor Beijing’s interests.
- Beijing has formalized its economic retaliation toolkit, moving from informal boycotts to legalized countermeasures against Western sanctions.
- Chinese information operations mirror Russian tactics, utilizing fake social media accounts to spread propaganda and exploit societal divisions.
- U.S. response should focus on providing alternative information sources and building economic resilience with allies rather than changing China’s behavior.
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