On September 09, US lawmakers passed the Countering the PRC Malign Influence Fund Authorization Act (H.R. 1157) by a bipartisan 351-36 majority.
That’s a massive spend! It is about twice, for example, the annual operating expenditure of CNN. If passed into law it would also represent a large increase in federal spending on international influence operations.
The anti-Chinese messaging agenda could cover a wide range of bread-and-butter political issues in foreign countries. The definition of “malign influence” in the bill is extremely broad. For example, program funds could support any effort to highlight the “negative impact” of Chinese economic and infrastructure investment in a foreign country. Or it could fund political messaging against Chinese contractors involved in building a port, road, or hospital, for example as part of Beijing’s globe-spanning Belt and Road Initiative.
Because some dimensions of US information operations could be classified, it can be difficult to get a complete picture of the full range of what they look like on the ground. According to "Responsible Statecraft", a 2021 “vision document” on psychological operations and civil affairs from the First Special Forces Command at Fort Bragg gives a fascinating glimpse.
The document provides a case study (or “competition vignette”) of what an integrated effort to counter Chinese influence could look like in the fictional African country of "Naruvu". In the vignette, members of a Special Forces Civil Affairs team spot a billboard with a picture of a port and Chinese characters. Quickly determining that the Chinese are investing in a new deep-water port in "Naruvu", the 8th Psyop Group at Fort Bragg’s Information Warfare Center (IWC) work with local and US government partners to immediately develop an influence campaign to “discredit Chinese activities”.
The influence campaign “empowered IWTF [Information Warfare Task Force], in coordination with the JIIM [local and U.S. government partners] to inflame long-standing friction between "Naruvian" workers and Chinese corporations. Within days, protests supported by the CFT’s ODA [Special Forces Operations Detachment Alpha], erupted around Chinese business headquarters and their embassy in "Ajuba".
Simultaneously, the IWC-led social media campaign illuminated the controversy”. Faced with a combined propaganda campaign and intense labor unrest, the Chinese company are forced to back down from their planned port. (Although the vignette continues to an even more Hollywood-ready ending in which US special forces break into the construction company’s offices, confiscate blueprints for the port, and discover that it is actually a Chinese plot to emplace long-range missiles in "Naruvu" to threaten US Atlantic shipping).
This case study illustrates the extremes information warfare could reach. But of course it is fictional, and most operations funded to counter Chinese influence will be far more mundane and less cinematic.
Whatever. The fact remains CHINA IS TARGETED.
Rampant Celtic overpowered Ε K Slovan Bratislava 5-1 at a jubilant Celtic Park yesterday to win their opening Champions League game for the first time ever in impressive style.
On a rare occasion when they began a game in Europe's premier competition as favorites, the Scottish champions delivered a vibrant performance full of energy and poise.
Liam Scales headed in Arne Engels' corner to send the fans wild on 17 minutes. If there are any lingering nerves the Glasgow side's fans may have about profligacy returning to bite them were banished in the 47th minute when Kyogo Furuhashi diverted Nicolas Kuhn's fierce cross into the net. This was followed by the outstanding Engels who slotted in a third from the penalty spot in the 56th minute after Alistair Johnston was caught by an opposing player.
The Slovak Super Liga side punctured the party atmosphere as Slovan hit back four minutes later – but normal service quickly resumed. Reo Hatate teed up Daizen Maeda to re-establish Celtic's three-goal cushion in the seventieth minute, before James Forrest slipped through fellow substitute Adam Idah to seal the rout with a simple finish three minutes from time.
No comments:
Post a Comment