China meddling in other countries’ polls, says US think tank

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 2

A US think tank has come out with a report on China’s meddling in elections in other countries and lays down possible threats.

Bid to maintain influence

International Republican Institute says Beijing employs more traditional strategies and tools to shape the political environment in other countries to maintain its influence and blunt anti-China rhetoric.

The report titled ‘China’s approach to influencing elections and political processes to its strategic advantage’, produced by the International Republican Institute, focuses on elections in Italy, Philippines and Kenya in 2022.

It says China has developed a sophisticated toolkit to influence politics in certain targeted countries. Beijing employs more traditional strategies and tools to shape the political environment in other countries to maintain its influence and blunt anti-China rhetoric.

China’s influence efforts are largely overt and rely on three main messengers: diplomatic personnel under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), officers from the Chinese Communist Party’s International Liaison Department (ILD) and official media organisations such as China Daily.

Beijing’s strategy is to cultivate new friends, make no enemies and create no scandals. Beijing can be expected to use these methods while also resorting to less visible activities.

The report says Chinese activity in the Philippines is a good example of various efforts that combine to steady what might otherwise be a tumultuous bilateral relationship.

China’s willingness to engage with requests of Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos for debt relief showed a pragmatic willingness to compromise in order to protect political relationships.

The Chinese had a blueprint ready for foreign political influence activities at a September 2022 joint press conference. Vice Minister of the CCP International Liaison Department Guo Yezhou and Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Ma Zhaoxu described foreign propaganda work as persuading foreign political parties, NGOs, and influential people to agree with China’s positions, especially on issues such as Beijing’s “One China” principle, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Xinjiang, Tibet, the South China Sea, and human rights.

In February, the annual threat assessment of the US Intelligence Community submitted to the US Senate said China might attempt to influence US elections in 2024 at some level because of its desire to sideline critics of China and magnify US societal divisions. Chinese have increased their capabilities to conduct covert influence operations and disseminate disinformation. Even if Beijing sets limits on these activities, individuals not under its direct supervision may attempt election influence activities they perceive are in line with Beijing’s goals.

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