Media Manipulation: China's Not-so-Subtle Strategy to Destabilise Asia
Since the 1990s, China's rise to prominence on the global stage primarily centred on its robust economic growth and its expanding military capabilities. Contrary to these, the nation's ability to project “soft” and “sharp power” through media industries and global influence campaigns was perceived as relatively nascent. However, recent comprehensive assessments refute such presumptions.
Since the late 2000s, especially under President Xi Jinping's leadership since 2013, Beijing has intensified its influence-wielding efforts. The trajectory of this campaign is not just limited to Southeast Asia, Taiwan, or Australia; its pace is also mounting in Africa, Europe, and America, with a distinct focus on the United States.
Over the past decade, China's sharp power - a tool utilised by authoritarian states to erode the governance structures of other nations through coercion, misinformation, and sowing discord - has seen significant augmentation. Notably, concerning Taiwan, there's growing evidence of a concerted media offensive aimed at creating regional upheaval, compelling Western allies, spanning North America and the Pacific, to reconsider and delineate their boundaries of engagement. These are potentially harbingers of heightened tensions or perhaps precursors to broader confrontational scenarios.
Recent revelations further underline China's strategic utilisation of sharp media power. The unveiling of the documentary, "Chasing Dreams", which chronicles the People's Liberation Army's stance towards Taiwan, transcends mere military posturing. Beijing is strategically leveraging media and economics as tools to counterbalance U.S. supremacy, capitalising on burgeoning nationalistic sentiments. This strategy is emblematic of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) intricate media campaign, which is seamlessly dovetailed with the economic magnetism of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to consolidate its sway over Southeast Asia.
The “Chasing Dreams” documentary showcased, among other things, the PLA’s “Joint Sword” drills, which simulated precision strikes against Taiwan. The exercises were undertaken around the self-governed island in April after a visit by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen to the U.S.
The premiere of "Chasing Dreams," elucidating the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) posturing towards Taiwan, is more than a testament to military prowess. It epitomises Beijing's intricate media stratagem, adeptly dovetailed with the economic magnetism of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), aiming to consolidate its ascendancy across Southeast Asia.
The documentary unveils the PLA's "Joint Sword" drills, meticulously designed simulations of precision strikes against Taiwan. These manoeuvres, encircling the autonomous island, were conspicuously timed with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen's diplomatic outreach to the U.S.
In this photo provided by China’s Xinhua News Agency, a People's Liberation Army member looks through binoculars during military exercises as Taiwan’s frigate Lan Yang is seen at the rear, on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022. China is holding drills in waters around Taiwan in response to a recent visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. (Lin Jian/Xinhua via AP)
Among the more dramatic parts of the program are pledges by PLA soldiers from various divisions to relinquish life in a potential attack on Taiwan.
China's media blitz, however, isn't merely a transient public relations endeavour. It's emblematic of Beijing's systematic attempt to both reinforce domestic solidarity and subtly dissuade adversarial foreign entities. This sophisticated media initiative finds its echo in “Beijing's Global Media Offensive” by Joshua Kurlantzick. The work underscores China's deliberate strides towards establishing itself as a global media, information, and influence behemoth. Kurlantzick delves into Beijing's ambitions to reshape internal politics, media narratives, and informational environments, targeting not just the U.S. and East Asia, but extending its reach into Europe and other global theatres.
"The current and potential future impact of the CCP’s soft power tactics should not be underestimated, be it in terms of press freedom, economics, or national security."
-Sarah Cook, Freedom House
In a testament to its expansive influence ambitions, Beijing has emerged as the paramount investor in overseas influence operations. Its strategic outreach envelops its immediate geographical realm, including Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Australia, Japan, and New Zealand, and stretches into Europe and broader horizons. Amplifying this is China's masterful penetration into the telecommunications sector, social platforms, and global TV media networks. Ingeniously intertwining propaganda with consumer electronics and digital platforms, Beijing ensures its narratives find resonance across the spectrum of global communication, embedding its perspectives into the very fabric of international discourse.
Belt and Road: China's Geopolitical Leverage
China's media strategy is more than mere propaganda; it represents a multidimensional approach, integrating socio-economic, political, and military objectives. Beyond the mission to reclaim Taiwan, there's a resurgence of national pride, which is sending ripples globally, challenging the established prowess of the US. It's creating a complex dance of economic interdependence that risks spiralling global supply chains into disarray.
China has supported the soft power media strategy through the various economic programs it has rolled out in the past 10 years. The Belt and Road is the highlight of effective diplomatic and economic influence China maintains at the hearts of its ever expansive regional ASEAN influence. In essence, it's a strategic government to government leveraging tool, designed to extend China's influence across Asia, Europe, and beyond. By providing infrastructural investments and fostering economic dependencies, China has sought to position itself as an indispensable ally to many Southeast Asian, Central Asia and African nations. This economic interdependence gives China the upper hand in pushing its geopolitical agendas, primarily its intention to reclaim Taiwan.
For many Southeast Asian nations, particularly the emerging ones, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) presents both opportunity and obligation. While the economic advantages are enticing, they often come with a tacit expectation of political allegiance to Beijing. This is further underscored by China's media campaigns, reminding these nations of its power and the anticipated political subservience.
China's ambitions extend beyond merely establishing socioeconomic footholds in Asia and Africa. Its “Made in China 2025” strategy, unveiled by Premier Li Keqiang in 2015, articulates this vision clearly.
Driven by its aspiration to dominate as the world's premier manufacturing, technological, and scientific powerhouse by 2050, Beijing is making significant strides. Current advancements indicate “China has become a tech rival”(1), and a formidable player in key 21st-century technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), 5G, quantum information science, semiconductors, biotechnology, and sustainable energy solutions.
AUKUS: Rising as China's Challenge
On September 15, 2021, the trilateral security agreement known as AUKUS was announced by Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. This partnership, with its central tenet being the provision of nuclear-powered submarines to Australia, emerged as a response to China's increasing maritime assertiveness in the Pacific. In the face of China's growing naval dominance, AUKUS strategically aims to strengthen surveillance, ensure freedom of navigation in international waters, and bolster their maritime presence.
However, the overarching question remains: Is this collective might sufficient to deter China's ambitions?
Aukus responding to the technological military competition across the Pacific
As China's technological advances dominate the Pacific discourse, AUKUS emerges not merely as a tri-nation pact but as a symbol of counterbalance to China's burgeoning dominance. Within AUKUS's framework, Pillar Two stands out as a critical component in charting a new trajectory for military-technological cooperation.
Pillar Two provides a strategic impetus for Washington D.C., London, and Canberra, galvanising their collective focus towards the technological contestation vis-à-vis Beijing.
By May 2023, the geopolitical equilibrium showcased discernible shifts, marked prominently by the UK's inaugural AUKUS technological exposition. This event unveiled pioneering feats in autonomous AI-driven apparatuses. While Pillar One stands as an inflection point in the AUKUS trajectory, Pillar Two, delineated in official communiqués, heralds a potential metamorphosis, centred on"boosting our shared capabilities and interoperability”
AUKUS is meticulously crafted to enhance cohesion amongst its affiliates, especially in pivotal spheres like electronic warfare (EW) and command and control (C2). This coalition envisages pioneering the integration of cutting-edge AI paradigms within defence and strategic echelons. Realising this vision, however, mandates a congruence of strategic objectives across the tripartite and a profound engagement with domain experts.
Yet, AUKUS cannot be viewed in a vacuum. It symbolises one of the stratagems employed by the Western bloc in response to what is discerned as China's "technological offensive." Beijing's robust forays into military tech, AI, semiconductor production, and pivotal satellite infrastructures are precursors to an emerging techno-strategic rivalry. Concurrently, China's regional and global media outreach endeavours to promulgate its tech ascendancy, overshadowing its adversaries.
Against this backdrop, AUKUS emerges as a keystone. Beyond its primary objective to cultivate a unified defence mechanism, it signifies the West's technological tenacity. AUKUS transcends the parameters of a conventional military coalition—it embodies the triad's unified resolve to confront and parallel China's tech strides head-on. By consolidating resources, disseminating intelligence, and synchronising defence endeavours, AUKUS accentuates its strategic influence, positioning itself as an indomitable bulwark against China's tech hegemony aspirations.
China's Techno-Economic Surge: Reshaping the Pacific Balance
In March 2023, ASPI released an ongoing assessment (3) of global leadership in developing the technologies that will be critical to the strategic competition for economic and strategic influence. A June update to their assessment suggests China is ahead of the United States and its allies in 19 of the 23 technologies relevant to AUKUS Pillar Two.
China's media strategy is more than mere propaganda; it represents a multidimensional approach, integrating socio-economic, political, and military objectives. Beyond the mission to reclaim Taiwan, there's a resurgence of national pride, which is sending ripples globally, challenging the established prowess of the US. It's creating a complex dance of economic interdependence that risks spiralling global supply chains into disarray.
Earlier analyses highlight China's accelerating technological prowess, not merely as a competitor, but a leader in the next wave of technological evolution. This wave intersects the realms of the physical, digital, and biotechnical.
Through centralised strategies, China has supercharged its state enterprises across all sectors. Significant incentives have been deployed to boost the capabilities of Universities and STEM facilities, supporting expansive R&D in General Purpose Technologies (GPTs). From this vantage, China's aspiration to lead in technological innovation is rapidly transitioning from a mere ambition to a concrete reality, poised to shape the 2030s.
Such innovative strides signal a massive shift in the global balance of power. China's assertive stake in leading-edge technologies has enhanced its international stature and fortified its economic, technological, and supply chain dominance. This supremacy resonates through Southeast Asia, amplifying the political and media impact across allied nations.
In this context, the US's somewhat fragmented approach to this new wave of innovation is alarming. Pacific allies are responding, urging governmental sectors to boost tech investments to sustain geopolitical influence. But is this reactive strategy sufficient?
The competitive landscape showcases the US and its allies pitted against a formidable and organised adversary – China, possessing an economy of similar magnitude and deeply intertwined with global networks. With the stakes astronomically high, reliance solely on market dynamics may not align with national interests. The challenge is palpable: confronting a coordinated rival while navigating a deeply connected economic landscape .(3)
China's Media Strategy: Sowing Confusion
China's media offensive is designed to do more than just intimidate. By presenting a potent mix of military might and nationalistic fervour, Beijing aims to sow confusion among the emerging and minor countries in Southeast Asia. The dual message – of a resurgent, powerful China ready to reclaim its 'lost territories' and a benefactor investing in their infrastructural growth – places these nations in a bind.
For these countries, deciphering China's true intentions becomes a challenge. Is Beijing a partner or a hegemon? The media blitzkrieg, with its blend of power and propaganda, clouds their decision-making, making it harder to take a unified stance against China's more imperialistic ambitions.
China's media offensive, combined with its strategic leveraging of the Belt and Road Initiative, presents a new kind of geopolitical challenge for Southeast Asia and the world. While Beijing has worked hard at becoming a media superpower, it sometimes has failed to reap gains from its efforts. It has undermined itself with overly assertive, alienating diplomacy and is now broadly unpopular in the region
As Beijing uses economic clout and media machinations to further its agendas, the onus falls on global alliances like AUKUS and continuous diplomacy to ensure a balanced power dynamic in the region. It is vital for Southeast Asian nations to recognize the implications of this new media warfare and work collaboratively to ensure that economic cooperation doesn't lead to political subordination.
- Lyssa White 2017 THE BIG QUESTION: UNDERSTANDING CHINA’S SOFT POWER, National Endowment For Democracy
- Rachelle Faust 2022, SHARP POWER FIVE YEARS LATER, National Endowment for Democracy‘s International Forum for Democratic Studies
- Josdhua Kurlantzick “Beijing's Global Media Offensive”.
- G.Allison K.Klyman, K.Barbesino, H.Yen,” The Great Tech Rivalry: China vs the U.S”,.
- White House Briefing-Room September 15, 202
- Mr Andrew F. Krepinevich CSBA Preserving the Balance, “A U.S. Eurasia Defense Strategy”, January 19, 2017
- ASPI Critical technology tracker
