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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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Source: Jamestown Foundation

Publication Date: August 18, 2023

Geopolitical Surprise In The Caucasus: Georgia Declares A Strategic Partnership With China

Authoritarian Country: China

Affected Region: Eurasia, Georgia

Author: Beka Chedia

View Resource: Geopolitical Surprise In The Caucasus: Georgia Declares A Strategic Partnership With China

Georgia has forged a strategic partnership with China after years of closeness with Western partners. China’s increasing influence in Georgia, particularly through investment in key strategic infrastructure, threatens Georgian democracy and the potential for rapprochement with NATO.

Source: The Guardian

Publication Date: August 11, 2023

‘It’s Not a Fad’: the Truth Behind Saudi Arabia’s Dizzying Investment in Sport

Authoritarian Country: Saudi Arabia

Affected Region: North America, United States, Europe, United Kingdom, Global

Author: Paul MacInnes

View Resource: ‘It’s Not a Fad’: the Truth Behind Saudi Arabia’s Dizzying Investment in Sport

Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in sports to bolster the country’s international image while advancing domestic development goals. Activists and experts warn that the Saudi government is “sportswashing” to distract from recent human rights abuses.

Source: Centro Latinoamericano de Investigación Periodística

Publication Date: August 6, 2023

Rosatom, Russia’s Nuclear Agency, and its Information Strategy to Win Bids in Latin America

Authoritarian Country: Russia

Affected Region: Latin America and the Caribbean, Bolivia, Nicaragua

Author: Pablo Medina et. al.

View Resource: Rosatom, Russia’s Nuclear Agency, and its Information Strategy to Win Bids in Latin America

As Russia’s nuclear agency, Rosatom, ramped up investment in Latin America, leaders signed agreements to strengthen their “digital communications strategies” and Russia-positive content has begun to appear in local media. Rosatom’s consultants have also intervened to sway local election results.

Source: New York Times

Publication Date: August 4, 2023

How a U.S. Tech Mogul Used Nonprofits to Sow Chinese Propaganda

Authoritarian Country: China

Affected Region: United Kingdom, Latin America and the Caribbean, Brazil, South Africa, Zambia, Ghana, Sub-Saharan Africa, North America, United States, Europe

Author: Mara Hvistendahl et. al.

View Resource: How a U.S. Tech Mogul Used Nonprofits to Sow Chinese Propaganda

An American donor with ties to Chinese state media has funneled money through nonprofit organizations to ultimately promote Chinese talking points within leftist activist groups, think tanks and media outlets worldwide.

Source: Euractiv

Publication Date: June 19, 2023

Almost 400 Websites Spread Russian Propaganda in Bulgaria

Authoritarian Country: Russia

Affected Region: Europe, Bulgaria

Author: Krassen Nikolov

View Resource: Almost 400 Websites Spread Russian Propaganda in Bulgaria

Bulgaria has seen a rapid growth in Russian propaganda over the past year, spreading disinformation and fake news through a network of growing mushroom sites, or websites created by malicious actors to project disinformation.

Source: Reuters

Publication Date: May 30, 2023

The Meat Magnate Who Pushed Putin’s Agenda in Germany

Authoritarian Country: Russia

Affected Region: Europe, Germany

Author: Tassilo Hummel, Polina Nikolskaya, Mari Saito, Maria Tsvetkova, Anton Zverev

View Resource: The Meat Magnate Who Pushed Putin’s Agenda in Germany

Ties between a German national soccer team and Russia’s state-owned gas company contributed to a blossoming relationship between the two countries. Foreign investment across Russian and German enterprises facilitated the spread of Russian influence and improved public opinion about Russia in Germany.

Source: Deutsche Welle

Publication Date: April 25, 2023

Sudan: Russia’s Wagner Group and the Grab for Power and Gold

Authoritarian Country: Russia

Affected Region: Sub-Saharan Africa, Sudan

Author: Philip Obaji Jr.

View Resource: Sudan: Russia’s Wagner Group and the Grab for Power and Gold

Russia used the Wagner Group to gain control of key gold and mining companies linked to the Sudanese military. In exchange, Wagner provided Sudanese paramilitary groups with the training and weapons to suppress democratic dissent.

Source: New York Times

Publication Date: April 22, 2023

Chinese Censorship is Quietly Rewriting the Covid-19 Story

Authoritarian Country: China

Affected Region: Global

Author: Mara Kvistendahl, Benjamin Mueller

View Resource: Chinese Censorship is Quietly Rewriting the Covid-19 Story

Beijing has attempted to shape global discourse around the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic by exploiting the editorial process in scientific journals. Chinese researchers retracted significant and important data from international journals that indicates a pattern of censorship from the government.

Source: Wall Street Journal

Publication Date: April 20, 2023

China Strikes Energy Deals as its Clout Grows in Middle East

Authoritarian Country: China

Affected Region: Middle East and North Africa, Qatar

Author: Sha Hua

View Resource: China Strikes Energy Deals as its Clout Grows in Middle East

Beijing announced new deals to invest in Qatari liquid natural gas operations and Iraqi oil as it attempted to translate its Gulf commercial interests into regional influence.

Source: Washington Post

Publication Date: April 20, 2023

Kremlin Tries to Build Antiwar Coalition in Germany, Documents Show

Authoritarian Country: Russia

Affected Region: Europe, Germany

Author: Catherine Belton et. al

View Resource: Kremlin Tries to Build Antiwar Coalition in Germany, Documents Show

The Kremlin used lavish trips and financial support to elevate pro-Russian voices on Ukraine in German far-right and far-left political parties. The goal was to promote pro-Russian views on Ukraine within the German public and dissuade further German assistance to Ukraine.

Source: Bloomberg

Publication Date: April 17, 2023

Russian Memo Said War Leaves Moscow Too Reliant on Chinese Tech

Authoritarian Country: China

Affected Region: Eurasia, Russia

Author: Alberto Nardelli

View Resource: Russian Memo Said War Leaves Moscow Too Reliant on Chinese Tech

Despite their ‘no limits partnership’, Russian technology officials have worried that Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine leave Moscow overly dependent on Chinese companies like Huawei. Even between close allies, the Kremlin fears that Chinese tech dominance can compromise internal security.

Source: The Freedom Initiative

Publication Date: April 16, 2023

In the Shadows of Authoritarianism

Authoritarian Country: Saudi Arabia

Affected Region: North America, United States

Author: TFI Staff

View Resource: In the Shadows of Authoritarianism

Saudi Arabia routinely threatened citizens living abroad in the United States in instances of blatant transnational repression. Saudis in the U.S. reported that digital surveillance, harassment, threats in Saudi media, and lawsuits in American courts were used to silence their criticism.

Source: New York Times

Publication Date: April 12, 2023

Glory to Putin: How Pro-Russian Narratives Spread in Africa

Authoritarian Country: Russia

Affected Region: Sub-Saharan Africa

Author: International NYT

View Resource: Glory to Putin: How Pro-Russian Narratives Spread in Africa

The Kremlin used a variety of tactics to spread disinformation about the war in Ukraine in Africa, including propaganda from RT and Sputnik and partnerships with local media. Russian operatives have exploited anti-colonial sentiment to increase the divide between Africans and the West.

Source: Axios

Publication Date: April 2, 2023

Saudi Arabia to Invest $38 Billion in Gaming

Authoritarian Country: Saudi Arabia

Affected Region: Global

Author: Cecilia D’Anastasio

View Resource: Saudi Arabia to Invest $38 Billion in Gaming

Saudi Arabia announced a large new investment in the video gaming sector, prompting accusations that it had been using its foray into popular entertainment to distract international observers from its abysmal human rights record.

Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies

Publication Date: March 27, 2023

A Mezze: Saudi Arabia’s New Anime Journey

Authoritarian Country: Saudi Arabia

Affected Region: Middle East and North Africa

View Resource: A Mezze: Saudi Arabia’s New Anime Journey

Saudi state-owned enterprises are investing in new Japanese-style anime due to the popularity of the genre among Saudis and Arabs across the Middle East. The investments raise questions of the Saudi state’s desire to the genre to control the narratives conveyed through Arabic-language anime.