The CIA allegedly launched a covert operation to attack Chinese officials and sway public opinion through intelligence leaks and negative news on social media.
Reuters According to reports, the operation began in 2019 and was also aimed at causing paranoia within Xi Jinping’s government. CIA agents reportedly created fake social media accounts to spread rumors, such as accusing members of the Communist Party of hiding ill-gotten gains abroad, and to criticize Chinese government initiatives, such as alleging corruption in plans to fund infrastructure projects in other countries.
The CIA declined to comment Reuters, There is no way to confirm whether the plan is still in effect. Reuters The operation, authorized by then-President Trump, was carried out outside China and used social media to influence public opinion in Southeast Asia, Africa and the South Pacific. China’s Belt and Road Initiative provides grants and loans for infrastructure projects and operates in developing countries in these regions. This initiative is one of the goals of the CIA program.
Propaganda by state actors on social media is nothing new, but the news is more about other countries targeting the United States. Russia has repeatedly been accused of creating fake accounts and troll farms to sway U.S. opinion, and a former ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted last year to setting up a troll farm to interfere in U.S. elections. same year, rolling stones wrote that a Chinese network created a fake far-right publication that pushed false stories to European social media users. Meanwhile, U.S. politicians seeking to ban TikTok have claimed that the Chinese government can use the social media platform to spy on or influence users.
