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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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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: Sub-Saharan Africa, North America, United States, Europe, United Kingdom, Latin America and the Caribbean, Brazil, South Africa, Zambia, Ghana
Author: Mara Hvistendahl et. al.
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.
Publication Date: August 4, 2023
A Warm July in China-Nicaragua Relations
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: Latin America and the Caribbean, Nicaragua
Author: Ladislav Charouz
Nicaragua has undertaken several rounds of negotiations on a free trade agreement with China, which was followed by new cooperation agreements playing to Beijing’s favor. This partnership has increased support for China’s One China principle across Latin America.
Publication Date: August 3, 2023
Afghanistan in China’s Grand Strategy
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: Middle East and North Africa
Author: Saher Liaqat, Abu Hurrairah Abbasi
China has increased engagement with Afghanistan through investment in natural resources, especially due to its strategic position between Central and South Asia. Afghanistan has become a crucial partner for China to implement BRI projects across the region, protect its economic ambitions, and contribute to regional stability.
Source: Eurasianet
Publication Date: August 3, 2023
Central Asia: China Strives to Shape Belt and Road-Related Media Coverage
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: Eurasia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan
China has invested heavily in Central Asia, including in hydroelectricity, healthcare, and agriculture. China has also opened opportunities for scholarships and military cooperation. To promote China’s perspective on the Belt and Road Initiative, authorities held a conference in Xinjiang in July 2023.
Publication Date: July 26, 2023
Policy Brief: Examining Transparency in Chinese Lending
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: Asia-Pacific, Philippines, Cambodia
Chinese loan agreements for infrastructure projects in the Philippines and Cambodia have included strict secrecy clauses which may fuel corruption and democratic decline in recipient states. The lack of publicly available information can be a breeding ground for corrosive capital.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
Publication Date: March 14, 2023
Honduras to Switch Ties from Taiwan to China, Says President
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: Latin America and the Caribbean, Honduras
Author: Rhoda Kwan, Amy Walker
Honduran President Xiomara Castro announced that his country would end diplomatic recognition of Taiwan. The move came as the Honduran government announced negotiations to build a massive hydroelectric power plant with Beijing.
Publication Date: March 6, 2023
South Africa’s ANC Received Big Donation from Russian Oligarch-Linked Firm
Authoritarian Country: Russia
Affected Region: Sub-Saharan Africa, South Africa
Author: Kate Bartlett
The African National Congress, South Africa’s ruling party, received a large donation from a mining company used by a Russian oligarch to evade sanctions. Critics say this gift is a bribe in exchange for the ANC’s support for the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Source: Deutsche Welle
Publication Date: February 27, 2023
More than Mercenaries: Russia’s Wagner Group in Africa
Authoritarian Country: Russia
Affected Region: Sub-Saharan Africa
Author: David Ehl
Across Sub-Saharan Africa, the Kremlin has used the Wagner Group to conduct illicit business that avoids Western sanctions and props up local dictators that are friendly to Moscow. The process has enriched Russia and local kleptocrats at the expense of local citizens.