China’s Influence Operations in the United States

"Overseas information control involves both promoting CCP narratives and censoring undesirable viewpoints. To conduct these operations, the CCP uses a mix of proxies with varying degrees of separation from the government. The first set of proxies consist of the overseas offices for state-run media companies, like the Xinhua News Agency, China Central Television network (CCTV), and China Radio International (CRI). [[vi]] These proxies deliver news coverage and commentary that reinforces CCP narratives and uses multiple languages to target different foreign audiences — Mandarin for the Chinese diaspora and local languages for the non-Chinese population. State media companies also pass content through a second set of proxies: trusted local outlets. [[vii]] These proxies include local outlets that accept partnerships with Chinese media companies in exchange for free content on China-related news, as well as local outlets that Chinese media companies simply absorb through mergers and acquisitions. [[viii]] The CCP cultivates a third set of proxies by working with local academic institutions, like universities, research centers, and publishers. [[ix]] The CCP typically uses state universities, state-funded Confucius Institutes, or other intermediaries to set up these relationships. Such funding may give rise to concerns about academic impartiality."