China, led by President Xi Jinping, has come under fire for allegedly interfering in the internal affairs of other nations. In addition to publicly criticizing Chinese influence, nations like the USA, Canada, South Korea, Lithuania, France, Australia, Nepal, and New Zealand have also raised diplomatic concerns to submit a protest.
THE USA
Beijing allegedly tried to influence elections via coordinated information and misinformation efforts aimed at supporting politicians who support the Chinese government, according to the American think tank Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). In Australia, New Zealand, and possibly the 2020 presidential elections in Taiwan, it has had a significant impact.
In accordance with disclosures submitted to the justice department under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), China has spent $280 million to influence US politics over the last six years. A significant sum of money was declared under FARA by Chinese state media companies operating in the United States. According to CGTN, a state-run broadcaster, the United States is currently dominated by $280 million worth of pro-Beijing players, including commercial media outlets with owners who support Beijing.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is reportedly conducting seven times as many China-related investigations as it did four years ago, according to a research released by this think tank. According to a study by the US National Counterintelligence and Security Center, Beijing has increased its targeting of local officials, mayors, governors, and state lawmakers.
THE CANADA
The meddling by China in the country’s previous two elections is the subject of many investigations by the Canadian authorities. The Canadian government first called the Chinese Envoy Cong Peiwu in one of the incidents to voice its displeasure with efforts to influence in Canada’s internal affairs. Zhao Wei, a diplomat from China, was later told to leave the country and was labeled “persona non grata.” This occurred when Hong Kong-based politician Michael Chong and his family became the victim of intimidation by Chinese authorities.
Foreign Minister Melanie Joly corroborated a media allegation that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service thinks a Chinese diplomat stationed at the Toronto embassy has been pursuing conservative MP Michael Chond and his family. Chond has been critical of China’s human rights records, and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service believes this to be the case.
IN FRENCH
The French Parliament’s report, which was released last week after five and a half months of study and hearings by the committee of investigation, makes the claim that China is using more aggressive and nefarious intervention tactics. The study also accuses China of using its diaspora and cultural network to disrupt and undermine the Western system, a tactic that encourages norm-contesting. According to the research, China wants to undermine the paradigm of liberal democracies in order to subtly advance its own political system.
AROUND SOUTH KOREA
South Korea also suffered. The Chinese ambassador was called by South Korea’s foreign ministry to protest his remark, in which he claimed that Seoul was moving away from China and toward the United States. This was almost a week ago.
The comment was made at a meeting with South Korean opposition leaders, and the ministry accused Chinese Ambassador Xing of breaking diplomatic procedure and meddling in internal affairs.
IN LITHUANIA
A tiny number of individuals carrying flags from Hong Kong, Tibet, and Xinjiang were seen in 2019 among a sea of Lithuanians commemorating a significant event in their history. After then, a group of Chinese people with Chinese flags reportedly assaulted the people bearing the flags of Tibet, Xinjiang, and Hong Kong. The protesters waving the flags of Hong Kong, Tibet, and Xinjiang were doing so legitimately, whereas the Chinese invaders entered without authorization. The Chinese embassy was given the troublemakers by Lithuania, but it reacted in an unexpected way.
The Chinese warned the Lithuanians against letting just anybody say anything on their territory. China imposed a ban on wheat shipments from Lithuania in retaliation. The ambassador of Lithuania to India, Diana Mickeviciene, said at a gathering in New Delhi that “Lithuania’s sovereignty is no less important than that of any other country” (she was alluding to China).
In 2022, a rising trade conflict over Lithuania’s ties to Taiwan led China to halt imports of cattle, dairy products, and beer from the Baltic country. After then, Lu Shaye, the Chinese ambassador to Paris, made a statement in which he questioned the Baltic nation’s legal standing under international law.
China, meanwhile, adores democracies.
‘China: A Democracy that Works’ was the title of a white paper published by China in 2021, according to associate professor and China specialist Sriparna Pathak. China aspires to present itself as an effective democracy. India, although not being a Western nation, adheres to the principles of the current international order, which is built on Western liberal democracies. China is aware of the value of speech and story, and it will use this understanding as part of its smart power to influence other nations to adopt Chinese leadership.
China really values democracy, but only in other nations. Democracies offer plenty of room for discussions and debates, which take time. China does not waste this time; instead, it uses it to persuade citizens of other nations and opposition parties to elect a government that is more supportive of its foreign policy.
Chinese-style modernization
“The latest (May 16) issue of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) leading theoretical fortnightly magazine ‘Qiu Shi’ (Seeking Truth) included a lengthy article by Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang,” according to Namrata Hasija, an authority on subjects relating to China. Without naming them, Qin Gang made direct criticisms of the US and the West while outlining China’s goals for its foreign policy. Jinping’s close friend and protege Qin Gang was in responsible of organizing his calendar for foreign policy for many years. Gang emphasized that for the tremendous revitalization of the Chinese country, modernisation in the Chinese manner is necessary.
“The West held China responsible for Covid. But now that the French President has been there, Germans are also visiting China. Businesses are pressuring their governments to cooperate more with China because Western nations want to safeguard their economy, according to the expert.
The majority of Chinese diplomats come from the United Front Work Department of China or their security system, she said. Wherever the US is, they want to be. They aspire to superpower status. The goal of China’s influence campaign in many societal sectors is to dethrone the US as the top power in the globe.
According to experts, the plan is not only to meddle with democracies but also to advance Chinese knowledge and the notion of a shared destiny for humanity under a communist party dictatorship in China.
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