The U.S. government criticized China for significantly restricting press freedom by spreading fake news and manipulating information worldwide.
According to major foreign media on the 28th (local time), the Global Engagement Center (GEC), a fake news response organization under the U.S. Department of State, pointed out in a report that China is spending billions of dollars (trillions of won) on overseas information manipulation through propaganda, disinformation, and censorship to promote positive news about the Chinese Communist Party.
To this end, China has used both public and covert means, such as acquiring shares in overseas media companies, sponsoring online influencers, and signing contracts to distribute Chinese government content without disclosing sponsorship, the report said.
In particular, the report noted that China restricts information opposing its claims on controversial topics such as Taiwan and cross-strait relations, human rights, and the slowing domestic economy. According to the report, China has built its own information ecosystem by recruiting foreign politicians and journalists for information manipulation and has invested in satellite networks and digital television services in developing countries. The report stated, "China has become capable of conducting detailed global censorship targeting specific individuals and organizations."
In East Africa, the report also specified cases where China paid local newspapers for favorable coverage while hiding its sponsorship and sought to gain significant control over Pakistani media.
Additionally, it claimed that China abused the social media platform WeChat to spread disinformation targeting Chinese speakers residing in democratic countries and that "ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, tried to block potential Chinese critics from using its platform."
Furthermore, the report warned, "If these Chinese attempts are not curbed, freedom of expression worldwide will rapidly shrink due to fears of direct retaliation from China."
James Rubin, GEC Special Envoy and Coordinator, strongly criticized, saying, "When you look at the pieces of the puzzle and put them together, you can see China's suffocating ambition to gain information superiority in key regions of the world. If this information manipulation is not stopped, the values of democracy will be gradually and steadily destroyed."
The Chinese Embassy in the United States reportedly did not respond to foreign media requests for comments on this report.
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