Under the leadership of Xi Jinping, China has drawn global attention for its interference in the domestic affairs of other countries, especially in electoral processes. Recently, the United States has levelled accusations against the dragon for its attempts to sway the forthcoming presidential elections. Similarly, Canada’s latest Security Intelligence Service report claims that China has clandestinely influenced its federal elections in both 2019 and 2021.
Utilising advanced instruments, Beijing has been vigorously trying to impose its political agenda across nations. The goal is to secure outcomes favourable to the Chinese regime, aligning with its strategic interests. Beijing’s extensive manoeuvres in this regard are continually challenging the sovereignty and national interests of other states. This is particularly true for nations having adversarial relations with Beijing, stemming from the latter’s aggressive territorial ambitions. With the current year witnessing general elections across 50 countries, a renewed examination of China’s recent history in election interference becomes imperative.
China’s interference in elections is deeply rooted in its expansive ‘influence operations’ (IO) targeting other countries. Central to Beijing’s IO is the disinformation campaign designed to undermine leaders abroad, portraying them as weak and vulnerable. A notable actor in this arena is the Spamouflage Dragon, also known as Dragon Bridge. This key propagator network of Chinese disinformation has been active since 2017-18, across various social media platforms. Its extensive reach came to light when nearly 9,000 Facebook and Instagram accounts linked to this network were shut down by Meta in August 2023. These campaigns, found across over 50 social media platforms, targeted nations such as the UK, the US, and Australia.
Beyond social media, Chinese IO strategies include both overt and covert tactics, involving the cultivation of assets like local and independent media, influential personalities, political parties, business figures, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The preference for particular candidates is subtly communicated not through direct diplomatic utterances but via Chinese state-affiliated media and the United Front Work Department (UFWD), which is dedicated to exerting overseas influence.
The ultimate objective of Chinese influence operations meddling in foreign elections is to ensure that the elected candidates or parties adopt a pro-China stance. These disinformation campaigns aim to sway election outcomes by undermining voter confidence in candidates not favoured by Beijing. In November 2023, approximately 4,800 fake social media accounts linked to China impersonating Americans were shut down. These accounts were disseminating narratives designed to polarise public opinion through partisan political content ahead of the US Presidential elections. In Australia, during the 2022 federal elections, Chinese disinformation efforts reportedly sought to encourage a pro-Chinese stance within the Australian government. A similar pattern was observed in the Philippines during its 2022 presidential elections.
A recent escalation in Chinese disinformation efforts involves leveraging generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology to construct propaganda images and videos. These AI-generated materials target parties and politicians critical of China or seen as contrary to Chinese interests. Microsoft’s recent report cautioned that China is poised to use generative AI to sway elections in South Korea, India, and the US, all of which are scheduled for this year.
The initial use of this technology by China was observed during Taiwan’s presidential elections in January. For China, the goals of these campaigns included undermining Taiwan’s democratic framework, promoting a pro-unification narrative, and weakening Taiwan’s ties with the US. The Supreme Prosecutor’s Office in Taiwan noted that the elections were marred by approximately 102 instances of foreign interference, many traceable to China. Taiwan’s Democratic People’s Party (DPP), which advocates for independence and now maintains a status quo stance, was a principal focus of these disinformation efforts. Since taking power in 2016, the DPP and its leading figures have faced persistent vilification in Chinese-linked local and social media as a ‘belligerent’ entity, alongside smear campaigns against its leaders.
Beyond media tactics, China’s strategies during the Taiwanese elections also encompassed economic pressure, military threats, and the co-optation of local officials to advance its objectives. Thus, Taiwan’s recent elections exemplify the complex and varied influence operations China conducts to meddle in the electoral processes of foreign nations.
Despite extensive efforts to exert political influence abroad, China’s tactics in election interference seem to have failed to yield favourable outcomes, as evident by recent election results in Taiwan and the Philippines. In fact, the negative repercussions of China’s disinformation campaigns on the national security of various nations have prompted several countries to ban the popular Chinese social media platform TikTok.
Nonetheless, reports indicate that China continues to meddle in foreign elections, to realise its ambition of becoming a global power. It remains to be seen whether China’s persistent attempts at election interference will achieve any significant success this year.
The writer is an author and columnist and has written several books. His X handle is @ArunAnandLive. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.
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