Resources
Resources
Browse resources on authoritarian sharp power and its effects on the integrity of institutions and globalized spaces.
0 Filters Applied
Publication Date: September 26, 2023
Moldova’s President Calls Out Russian Meddling
Authoritarian Country: Russia
Affected Region: Europe, Moldova
Author: Ahshish Kumar Sen
Moldova has sought support of the EU and international community to safeguard its democratic processes against Russian subversion. Russian tactics include election interference, disinformation, and economic blackmail.
Source: Foreign Policy Research Institute
Publication Date: September 19, 2023
China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Politics Over Economics
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: Global
Author: Felix K. Chang
China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been expected to enter a new phase following the PRC’s Third BRI Forum in October 2023. With over 150 countries participating in the BRI, China’s plans for its signature initiative have appeared increasingly political and less focused on infrastructure development.
Publication Date: October 18, 2023
Indonesia, China Vow to Expand Economic Cooperation
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: Asia-Pacific, Indonesia
Author: Sebastian Strangio
The third Belt and Road Forum, in October 2023, demonstrated that many Southeast Asian leaders see China as the key to their nations’ prosperity, helping them to build infrastructure and adopt new technologies. That dependence may discourage leaders from challenging China’s anti-democratic rhetoric.
Source: Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project
Publication Date: November 2, 2022
Documents Reveal Wagner’s Golden Ties to Sudanese Military Companies
Authoritarian Country: Russia
Affected Region: Sub-Saharan Africa, Sudan
Author: Khadija Sharife, Lara Dihmis, Erin Klazar
Companies linked to Russia’s Wagner Group have maintained and expanded their influence in Sudan’s gold mining sector through a partnership with local military companies. In exchange for weapons and advisors, Wagner was given gold and mining rights, not subject to Western sanctions.
Publication Date: November 16, 2023
China’s Expanding Health Diplomacy in Indonesia
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: Asia-Pacific, Indonesia
Author: Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat, Yeta Purnama
While the Chinese and Indonesian government began cooperating during the COVID-19 pandemic on vaccine distribution, Beijing has recently increased its investment in Indonesia’s health sector to push back against negative perceptions of China among a majority of Indonesians.
Source: Balkan Insight
Publication Date: March 29, 2023
Montenegro Signs Contract With Chinese Company to Build Coastal Highway
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: Europe, Montenegro
Author: Samir Kajosevic
The government of Montenegro partnered with a Chinese corporation that is known for maintaining secrecy in other regional projects. This lack of accountability is characteristic of Chinese Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure projects.
Publication Date: March 27, 2023
Europe Fights Back Against Chinese and Russian “Elite Capture”
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: Europe, Italy
Author: Gabriele Carrer
China’s investments in European businesses opened opportunities for elite capture by offering jobs or board appointments to retired politicians and other influential individuals. In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Italy has taken a more skeptical look at these investments.
Source: Foreign Policy Research Institute
Publication Date: March 23, 2023
China is Finally Making Progress on the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: Eurasia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan
Author: Niva Yau, Tsz Yan
Beijing secured the rights to build a new railway linking Xinjiang with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan after many delays. The new project could advance China’s geopolitical interests and secure support among Central Asian elites for Chinese legitimacy claims in Xinjiang .
Publication Date: March 13, 2024
Foreign State Ownership of UK Newspapers to be Banned Amid UAE Telegraph Takeover Bid
Authoritarian Country: United Arab Emirates
Affected Region: Europe, United Kingdom
Author: Ben Riley-Smith
The UK government passed a bill banning foreign state ownership of national media outlets in response to a takeover bid of The Telegraph by a UAE-backed investment fund. This decision is part of an effort to safeguard press freedom and counter foreign influence of the information space in the UK.
Publication Date: March 1, 2024
Biden Orders US Investigation of National Security Risks Posed by Chinese-Made ‘Smart Cars’
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: North America, United States
Author: Matthew Daly
The Biden administration has ordered an investigation into Chinese-made smart vehicles that pose national security risks including data collection, remote controlling and espionage. US officials are concerned that Chinese companies are finding ways to evade tariffs and pre-existing restrictions placed on Chinese cars.
Source: Project on Middle East Political Science
Publication Date: June 1, 2020
Central Asia and the Iran-Saudi Rivalry
Authoritarian Country: Iran, Saudi Arabia
Affected Region: Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Eurasia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan
Author: Edward Wastnidge
Saudi Arabia and Iran both attempted to influence politics in Central Asia through economic engagement. Through appeals to shared Islamic identity, both Riyadh and Tehran have attempted to crowd out the other and gain allies in their geopolitical conflict with each other.
Publication Date: June 20, 2023
Iranian President Tours Latin America to Drum Up Trade and Anti-US Rhetoric
Authoritarian Country: Iran
Affected Region: Latin America and the Caribbean, Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua
Author: Florencia Montaruli
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has signed agreements with Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba. The deals, mainly pertaining to trade and oil, represent Iran’s effort to supplant the United States as a partner. Raisi has tapped into anti-democratic and anti-American sentiment to cultivate the partnerships.
Source: Civil.ge
Publication Date: June 15, 2023
Russian Capital in Georgian Business
Authoritarian Country: Russia
Affected Region: Eurasia, Georgia
Russian capital in Georgia’s strategically important sectors, such as energy and minerals, has ballooned since 2021. The management of some key corporations includes both Russian entities and members of Georgia’s ruling party, indicting a potential alignment of domestic policies with Russian interests.
Publication Date: June 12, 2023
Chinese Highway Project in Georgia Brings Hope, Scandal, and Change
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: Eurasia, Georgia
Author: Reid Standish, Tamuna Chkareuli
Chinese companies began to build a highway that crosses Georgia, to boost its infrastructure and economy. The project demonstrates China’s effort to strengthen its presence in Georgia, although the project has raised concerns of corruption in the tender process and environmental effects.
Publication Date: July 2, 2023
Belarus: an Ever Growing Dependency on Russia
Authoritarian Country: China, Iran, Russia
Affected Region: Europe, Belarus
Author: Raphael Minder
Russia’s influence in Belarus increased during the war in Ukraine, in part due to Western sanctions. Sectors including agriculture, energy, and banking have strengthened ties to Russia, China, and Iran, while social changes including Russian-language street signs signal a wider embrace of Russia.