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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: November 13, 2023
High-Tech Chinese ‘Border Scanners’ Raise Transparency, Privacy Questions In Serbia
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: Europe, Serbia
Author: Sonja Gocanin
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.
Publication Date: November 12, 2023
Russia’s Hand Seen in Moldovan Local Elections
Authoritarian Country: Russia
Affected Region: Europe, Moldova
Author: Marija Golubeva
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
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
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.
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
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.
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
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
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.
Publication Date: September 25, 2023
China is Flooding Taiwan with Disinformation
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: Asia-Pacific, Taiwan
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.
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
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.
Publication Date: August 22, 2023
Georgia Plays Footsie With the Authoritarian Bloc
Authoritarian Country: China, Russia
Affected Region: Eurasia, Georgia
Author: Irina Arabidze
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
Publication Date: August 11, 2023
Is China Facilitating Corrosive Capital in Serbia?
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: Europe, Serbia
Author: Stefan Vladisavljev
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.