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Browse resources on authoritarian sharp power and its effects on the integrity of institutions and globalized spaces.
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Publication Date: January 12, 2022
Chinese Agent Infiltrating Parliament, MI5 Warns
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: United Kingdom, Europe
Author: Gordon Corera, Jennifer Scott
MI5 issued a security notice to UK Parliament members warning that Christine Ching Kui Lee, a lawyer, had engaged with and directed donations to members of parliament in coordination with the Chinese Communist Party’s United Front Work Department to ensure…
Publication Date: December 22, 2021
HarperCollins Apologizes to Russian Billionaire Over Book Claiming Putin Ordered Chelsea Soccer Team Purchase
Authoritarian Country: Russia
Affected Region: United Kingdom, Europe
Author: Amy Cheng
The British arm of publisher HarperCollins apologized to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich after settling a libel lawsuit filed over author Catherine Belton’s claim in Putin’s People that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Abramovich to purchase the London-based Chelsea soccer club.
Publication Date: December 20, 2021
The Kremlin Playbook 3
Authoritarian Country: Russia
Affected Region: Global
Author: Heather A. Conley, Donatienne Ruy
The Kremlin seeks to break societal consensus around the liberal democratic order and build support for Russia’s policy preferences by positioning itself as a defender of conservative values. Such “strategic conservatism” builds on and uses Russia’s existing propaganda and disinformation…
Source: Central European Institute of Asian Studies
Publication Date: December 18, 2021
Under the Radar: Mapping the Czech and Slovak Local Governments’ Ties to China
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: Slovakia, Europe, Czechia
Author: Matej Šimalčík et al.
A mapping of the paradiplomatic relations of sub-national entities in Slovakia and Czechia identified at least 46 instances of agreement-based cooperation with Chinese partners. A lack of transparency and limited public control over these relations contributed to a culture of…
Publication Date: December 16, 2021
Special Report: Amazon Partnered with China Propaganda Arm
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: United States, North America
Author: Steve Stecklow, Jeffrey Dastin
Internal Amazon documents described how the company partnered with China’s National Press and Publication Administration and a state-owned enterprise to establish a China Books portal that hasn’t generated significant revenue, but which Amazon saw as crucial to safeguarding against license…
Source: Balkan Insight
Publication Date: December 15, 2021
How Russian State Funds Promote Genocide Denial in Bosnia
Authoritarian Country: Russia
Affected Region: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Europe
Author: Nermina Kuloglija
Russian government-backed foundations held events to promote reports denying the 1995 Srebrenica genocide, as Moscow sought to exploit divisions in Bosnia and Herzegovina and increase its influence among the country’s Serbs.
Publication Date: December 9, 2021
Borrowing Mouths to Speak on Xinjiang
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: Global
Author: Fergus Ryan et al.
Chinese state entities have supported foreign influencers in the creation of social media content in Xinjiang, as well as amplified influencer content that supports pro-CCP narratives, as part of a wider global propaganda push to counter critical reporting about human…
Source: Stockholm Free World Forum
Publication Date: December 8, 2021
CCTV – A Trojan Horse in International News Dissemination?
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: Global
Author: Øystein Bogen
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV maintains contracts with Thomson Reuters and Associated Press guaranteeing the distribution of scripted footage to global clients. Some content is heavily editorialized, contains dubious sources, and appears designed to reinforce Beijing’s foreign policy priorities.
Source: Africa Center for Strategic Studies
Publication Date: December 6, 2021
Guānxì: Power, Networking, and Influence in China-Africa Relations
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: Sub-Saharan Africa, Kenya, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Author: Paul Nantulya
China-Africa relations thrive on interpersonal ties of mutual dependence, obligations, and reciprocity. The net effect of instrumentalized “guānxì” is that African elites reap financial rewards and entrench their patronage networks while Chinese firms increase their political clout.
Source: Rest of World
Publication Date: November 30, 2021
The Real Reason China is Pushing “Digital Sovereignty” in Africa
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: Sub-Saharan Africa
Author: Yinka Adegoke
The unfettered influence of Chinese firms in the digital ecosystem of African countries has become a growing point of concern. Analysts say playing an essential role in Africa’s digital transformation gives Beijing a stronger footing in global affairs and creates…
Publication Date: November 29, 2021
Even on U.S. Campuses, China Cracks Down on Students Who Speak Out
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: United States, North America
Author: Sebastian Rotella
The reach of the Chinese Communist Party extends onto U.S. campuses. Chinese students critical of the CCP have been harassed by their peers, and their relatives back home have been approached by officials. University administrators are reluctant to intercede and…
Publication Date: November 28, 2021
Disney’s Missing ‘Simpsons’ Episode in Hong Kong Raises Censorship Fears
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: China, Asia-Pacific
Author: Dan Strumpf
The absence of an episode of “The Simpsons” from streaming service Disney+ in Hong Kong raised concerns about rising censorship. The episode centered on a trip to China during which the Simpsons encounter a plaque at Tiananmen Square in Beijing…
Publication Date: November 27, 2021
The Backchannel: State Capture and Bribery in Congo’s Deal of the Century
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: Sub-Saharan Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
A trove of documents and data called the Congo Hold-up leak revealed that Chinese state-owned enterprises China Railway Group and Sinohydro used a middleman to pump tens of millions of dollars into the pockets of Congolese president Joseph Kabila’s family,…
Source: China Digital Times
Publication Date: November 23, 2021
Tennis Star Peng Shuai Subjected to “Forced Reappearance”
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: Global
Author: Joseph Brouwer
Tennis star Peng Shuai disappeared from public view after accusing a senior Chinese Community Party of sexual assault. An apparent campaign by China’s authorities to defuse and undermine international concerns for Peng involved a video appearance with the International Olympic…
Source: Axios
Publication Date: November 17, 2021
Exclusive: Marriott Refused to Host Uyghur Conference, Citing “Political Neutrality”
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: Czechia, Europe
Author: Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian, Dave Lawler
A Marriott hotel in Prague declined to host a conference of activists and leaders from China’s Uyghur diaspora. The decision reflected the CCP’s ability to extend authoritarian control beyond its borders by making clear to corporations that crossing the party’s…