Pentagon details China info war on U.S.

NEWS AND ANALYSIS:

China is engaged in influence operations targeting U.S. society aimed at building support for the communist nation’s policies and strategies, according to the Pentagon‘s latest annual report on the Chinese military.

“The PRC conducts influence operations, which target cultural institutions, media organizations, business, academic, and policy communities in the United States, other countries, and international institutions, to achieve outcomes favorable to its strategic objectives,” the report said.

Little academic research has been done in the United States to track the influence operations, which have been successful in shaping Americans’ understanding of China. Many media organizations and think tanks often reflect Chinese government propaganda and messages, such as the theme that China poses no threat to the U.S.

Beijing uses its funding and access to travel in China as means of influencing American institutions to avoid criticizing threatening activities such as human rights violations and China‘s spread of nuclear arms and equipment around the world.

The ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) “seeks to condition domestic,…