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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: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Publication Date: November 13, 2023

High-Tech Chinese ‘Border Scanners’ Raise Transparency, Privacy Questions In Serbia

Authoritarian Country: China

Affected Region: Europe, Serbia

Author: Sonja Gocanin

View Resource: High-Tech Chinese ‘Border Scanners’ Raise Transparency, Privacy Questions In Serbia

China has donated border surveillance technology to Serbia under the stated goal of combatting smuggling and human trafficking across the Serbia-Bulgaria border. The donated technology, manufactured by CCP-backed Nuctech, may provide Beijing access to the personal data of EU citizens.

Source: Center for European Policy Analysis

Publication Date: November 12, 2023

Russia’s Hand Seen in Moldovan Local Elections

Authoritarian Country: Russia

Affected Region: Europe, Moldova

Author: Marija Golubeva

View Resource: Russia’s Hand Seen in Moldovan Local Elections

Candidates from Moldova’s Chance party were banned from the November 2023 elections for accepting laundered Russian funds. Through strategic investments, Russia has employed regionalization and strategic ambiguity to sow distrust in Moldova’s central government and democratic institutions.

Source: New York Times

Publication Date: November 2, 2023

In a Worldwide War of Words, Russia, China and Iran Back Hamas

Authoritarian Country: China, Iran, Russia

Affected Region: Global

Author: Steven Lee Myers, Sheera Frenkel

View Resource: In a Worldwide War of Words, Russia, China and Iran Back Hamas

Russia, China, and Iran have launched information campaigns to amplify messaging from Hamas’s online propaganda efforts. Outlets including Russia’s Sputnik India and RT en Español have echoed anti-western rhetoric and coopted anti-imperial messages to influence audiences across the Global South.

Source: Coda Story

Publication Date: October 25, 2023

Inside the Brain of a Kazakh Smart City

Authoritarian Country: China

Affected Region: Eurasia, Kazakhstan

Author: Bradley Jardine

View Resource: Inside the Brain of a Kazakh Smart City

A small village in Kazakhstan has deployed Chinese surveillance technology ahead of government plans to create smart cities nationwide. Analysts have raised concerns over China’s access to the private data of Kazakh citizens and collaboration with China to target protesters and minority groups.

Source: Institute for Strategic Dialogue

Publication Date: October 24, 2023

Capitalizing on Crisis: Russia, China and Iran use X to Exploit Israel-Hamas Information Chaos

Authoritarian Country: China, Iran, Russia

Affected Region: Middle East and North Africa, Israel, North America, United States, Global

View Resource: Capitalizing on Crisis: Russia, China and Iran use X to Exploit Israel-Hamas Information Chaos

State-linked social media accounts from Iran, Russia, and China have used the Israel-Hamas conflict to spread disinformation and anti-Western rhetoric. This disinformation includes manipulated videos, false claims about US involvement in the conflict, and dangerous demonization of Israeli civilians.

Source: Newsweek

Publication Date: October 22, 2023

Iran Joins Middle East Propaganda War on China’s TikTok

Authoritarian Country: China, Iran

Affected Region: Asia-Pacific, China

Author: Aadil Brar

View Resource: Iran Joins Middle East Propaganda War on China’s TikTok

Iranian narratives on the Israel-Hamas conflict have proliferated on the popular Chinese short-video app Douyin. Iran has spread pro-Hamas and antisemitic propaganda to 1 million followers on Douyin, which Chinese state media has reposted.

Source: The Hill

Publication Date: September 25, 2023

Russia, China, Iran State Media See Boost on X After Removal of ‘State-Affiliated’ Labels

Authoritarian Country: China, Iran, Russia

Affected Region: Global

Author: Julia Shapero

View Resource: Russia, China, Iran State Media See Boost on X After Removal of ‘State-Affiliated’ Labels

State-run X accounts from Russia, China, and Iran saw engagement increase up to 70% following the removal of “state-affiliated” labels and related post restrictions. The replacement of X’s verification system with subscription-based checkmarks has also amplified posts and imbued false legitimacy.

Source: The Economist

Publication Date: September 25, 2023

China is Flooding Taiwan with Disinformation

Authoritarian Country: China

Affected Region: Asia-Pacific, Taiwan

View Resource: China is Flooding Taiwan with Disinformation

Chinese disinformation has “severely infiltrated” Taiwan, yet fewer than 20% of Taiwanese citizens recognize this disinformation as foreign influence. Gaps in Taiwanese law and technological advances like AI have limited the government’s capacity to respond to China’s interference ahead of elections.

Source: The Diplomat

Publication Date: September 24, 2023

How China’s Propaganda Infiltrated Radio Stations in Europe

Authoritarian Country: China

Affected Region: Europe, Serbia, Czechia, Hungary, Finland

Author: Ivana Karásková

View Resource: How China’s Propaganda Infiltrated Radio Stations in Europe

Czech outlets Radio HEY and Radio Color cancelled a radio show that was found to have direct ties to Chinese state-owned media company China Radio International. Echoing China’s talking points on Taiwan and Tibet, such programs have extended China’s media influence campaign into Europe.

Source: Center for European Policy Analysis

Publication Date: August 22, 2023

Georgia Plays Footsie With the Authoritarian Bloc

Authoritarian Country: China, Russia

Affected Region: Eurasia, Georgia

Author: Irina Arabidze

View Resource: Georgia Plays Footsie With the Authoritarian Bloc

Georgia recently entered into a strategic partnership with China, continuing an apparent shift away from the West and towards authoritarian actors China and Russia. Georgia’s strategic location along key supply routes to Ukraine and energy pipelines to Europe raises particular concerns.

Source: Axios

Publication Date: August 20, 2023

Beijing-run School in Tanzania Trains African Leaders in Authoritarianism

Authoritarian Country: China

Affected Region: Sub-Saharan Africa, South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia, Mozambique

Author: Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian

View Resource: Beijing-run School in Tanzania Trains African Leaders in Authoritarianism

Fighting for influence on a continent rich in raw materials and energy, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has opened a training academy in Tanzania to train African leaders in its authoritarian governance tactics. The school instructs pupils how the CCP fuses the ruling political party and the state.

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 14, 2023

Vice Blocked News Stories that Could Offend Saudi Arabia, Insiders Say

Authoritarian Country: Saudi Arabia

Affected Region: North America, United States, Canada

Author: Jim Waterson

View Resource: Vice Blocked News Stories that Could Offend Saudi Arabia, Insiders Say

Following a lucrative new partnership with Saudi-controlled media company MBC Group, staff at the Canadian-American media outlet Vice claimed that their employer began censoring content related to Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.

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: The Diplomat

Publication Date: August 11, 2023

Is China Facilitating Corrosive Capital in Serbia?

Authoritarian Country: China

Affected Region: Europe, Serbia

Author: Stefan Vladisavljev

View Resource: Is China Facilitating Corrosive Capital in Serbia?

Chinese foreign investment in Serbia has surged, along with large loan arrangements and infrastructure projects. As part of this deepening relationship, Serbia has reaffirmed its adherence to the “One China” policy and served as an instrument for advancing China’s foreign policy objectives.