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Goals of China’s Foreign Propaganda
Through its external propaganda operations, China seeks to shape international perception of the Chinese government and its policies. The CCP’s main goals are:


 * 1) Reduce fears that China is a threat to neighboring countries. China seeks to change its image within the region from that of a growing threat and aggressor to that of a benefactor and potential partner.   Beijing is working to “diminish fears of China’s future military power, or concerns that China’s massive economic growth would divert trade and foreign investment from other nations.”
 * 2) Secure access to resources and energy. As China’s economy continues to grow at a rapid pace, the need for resources and energy has become more pressing. To protect its access to these resources, China is working to gain the trust of foreign states that that possess oil, gas, and other materials.
 * 3) Build alliances and weaken Taiwan’s relationship with the international community. In 1994, China announced that it would “use all economic and diplomatic resources to reward countries that are willing to isolate Taiwan.”  Through propaganda as well as economic incentives, China seeks to convince any nation that still recognizes Taiwan to switch their loyalty to Beijing and formally declare that Taiwan is part of China.
 * 4) Promote a multipolar world and constrain U.S. global power. China seeks to slowly diminish the United State’s influence in Asia, and create its own sphere of influence in Southeast Asia.  China believes in non-interventionism.

Overall, China seeks to “allay concerns about China's economic rise, military build-up and increasing political and diplomatic influence.”

Common CCP Propaganda Themes
Former CCP leader Deng Xiaoping advised Chinese leadership to “hide your capabilities, and bide your time.”  Most modern Chinese foreign propaganda seeks to pursue China’s strategic goals while adhering to this advice. The following are common themes found in China’s foreign propaganda:


 * China seeks a peaceful rise. In other words, “China is not a threat.” As it industrializes, China does not seek to rival other nations for resources. It also seeks to industrialize without high amounts of pollution, energy consumption, and investment.


 * China does not seek hegemony. “Instead, China will transcend ideological differences to strive for peace, development, and cooperation with all countries of the world.” China “advocates a new international political and economic order, one that can be achieved through incremental reforms and the democratization of international relations.”


 * The CCP is evolving and is no longer an authoritarian regime. China’s government has evolved from the days of Mao. It is no longer a strict, authoritarian style Communist/Maoist system, but is democratizing. The CCP seeks to “transcend outdated modes of social control and to construct a harmonious socialist society.”


 * China does not view the United States as a strategic adversary. Instead, “Beijing wants Washington to play a positive role in the region's security as well as economic affairs.”

Instruments
The PRC uses many tactics and techniques to disseminate its propaganda themes abroad. China uses its news and media outlets, which are directly influenced by various state organizations (and ultimately the Central Propaganda Department of the CCP), to relay news stories consistent with these themes to foreign audiences. In 2009, reports emerged that China intends to invest US$6.6 billion to expand its foreign language news service. This includes plans for a 24-hour English-language news network to discuss world affairs from Beijing’s point of view.

Several Chinese news/propaganda outlets include:
 * China Daily
 * Xinhua
 * China Radio International
 * People’s Daily
 * Global Times
 * Renmin Ribao
 * Beijing Review
 * CCTV

Influence Operations in the United States
Through a combination of overt and covert activities, China has sought to gain strategic political influence within the American government in order to affect policies and the political process. In the U.S., China employs efforts to “influence U.S. academics, journalists, think tank personnel and other shapers of public opinion…” China also aims to influence businessmen and politicians.

Agents of Influence
Using a variety of methods, the PRC has recruited American agents of influence to advocate for Chinese interests in the United States. While many of these agents of influence serve China unwittingly, they can be very effective. A 1999 Congressional report found that “the Chinese Government continues to seek influence in Congress through various means, including inviting Congressional members to visit the PRC, lobbying ethnic Chinese voters and prominent U.S. citizens, and engaging U.S. business interests to weigh in on issues of mutual concern.”   Junkets were also effectively used by the Soviet Union as part of active measures to co-opt Western politicians, journalists, and academics.

China also uses its vast market as leverage in order to persuade American companies to lobby for Chinese interests. This is especially true of companies that deal in high technology or dual-use technology, as there are significant export controls placed on such technology. According to the 1999 Cox Report, “Executives wishing to do business in the PRC share a mutual commercial interest with the PRC in minimizing export controls on dual-use and military-related technologies. The PRC has displayed a willingness to exploit this mutuality of interest in several notoriously public cases by inducing VIPs from large U.S. companies to lobby on behalf of initiatives, such as export liberalization, on which they are aligned with the PRC.”

U.S. Elections
Through its agents in America, the PRC has financed a number of political candidates. Katrina Leung, a Chinese spy, contributed $10,000 to the campaign of Richard Riordan, the former mayor of Los Angeles. When he lost his primary to Bill Simon Jr., Leung contributed $4,200 to Simon’s campaign. At the direction of her Chinese handlers, Leung also contributed to the 1992 campaign of George H. W. Bush It is estimated that Leung donated around $27,000 to politicians in the 1990s on behalf of the PRC. A 2012 report by the Government Accountability Institute cites other examples:  It was discovered that officers from the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. “sought to direct contributions from foreign sources to the Democratic National Committee before the 1996 presidential campaign.”   While these allegations have been denied by the PRC, “Secret communications between Beijing and the Chinese Embassy in Washington establish that the influence-buying plan was ‘government sanctioned…’”

In 1996, PLA intelligence officer Gen. Ji Shengde provided Johnny Chung, a fundraiser for the DNC, with $300,000 to donate towards President Bill Clinton’s reelection. Chung visited the White House over fifty times during the 1996 presidential campaign, and was responsible for over $400,000 of contributions to the DNC. This money was returned after the election.