(Washington) China is spending billions of dollars to spread disinformation around the world, which threatens to limit freedom of expression on the planet, according to a report from the US State Department released Thursday which denounces this “authoritarianism digital”.
“International manipulation of information (by China) is not only a matter of public diplomacy, but constitutes a challenge to the integrity of the international information space,” the report said.
This “manipulation” includes “propaganda, disinformation and censorship”, notes American diplomacy.
“If left unchecked, the People’s Republic of China’s efforts will reshape the global information landscape, creating biases and gaps that could even lead nations to make decisions that subordinate their economic and security interests to those of Beijing. »
The report published by the GEC, a unit dedicated to combating disinformation within the State Department, adds that Beijing spends billions of dollars each year on these “information manipulation operations abroad.” “.
At the same time, China is suppressing critical information that contradicts its language on delicate subjects such as Taiwan, human rights and its flagging economy.
“When you look at the pieces of the puzzle and put it together, you see a staggering ambition on the part of China to seek to dominate information in key regions of the globe,” James Rubin told reporters. coordinator of the GEC and former spokesperson for American diplomacy.
Beijing did not immediately respond to the report.
According to the document, China manipulates information in particular by promoting “digital authoritarianism”, exploiting international organizations and controlling Chinese-speaking media.
These tactics could allow Beijing to “reshape the world’s information environment.”
“Dark side”
“This is the dark side of globalization,” added Mr. Rubin, who said he feared, if nothing is done, “a slow and steady destruction of democratic values.”
“We don’t want an Orwellian mix of fact and fiction in our world.”
The report cites, in particular, an example in East Africa in an unidentified country where China “paid to obtain favorable coverage in a local newspaper” or even attempted to take “significant control of the media in Pakistan.”
The report also accuses China of exploiting the social network WeChat to spread disinformation targeting those who “speak Chinese and reside in democracies” and the Chinese technology giant ByteDance, owner of TikTok, of seeking to “prevent potential critics from Beijing to use its platforms.”
The same day, the head of American diplomacy, Antony Blinken, accused China of seeking to become “the dominant power in the world”.
“I think its goal is to become the dominant power in the world — militarily, economically, diplomatically,” Blinken said when asked about China’s intentions during a forum organized by The Atlantic magazine.
“This is what (Chinese President) Xi Jinping is seeking,” he added.
The United States has identified China as its main long-term strategic challenge.
While maintaining a dialogue with Beijing by pleading for “responsible” management of tensions, they are redoubling their efforts to counter Chinese power by strengthening, for example, the American presence in the Asia-Pacific zone.