Two years into office, President Donald Trump authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to launch a clandestine campaign on Chinese social media aimed at turning public opinion in China against its government, according to former U.S. officials with direct knowledge of the highly classified operation.
Three former officials told Reuters that the CIA created a small team of operatives who used bogus internet identities to spread negative narratives about Xi Jinping’s government while leaking disparaging intelligence to overseas news outlets. The effort, which began in 2019, has not been previously reported.
During the past decade, China has rapidly expanded its global footprint, forging military pacts, trade deals, and business partnerships with developing nations.
Although the U.S. officials declined to provide specific details of these operations, they said the disparaging narratives were based in fact despite being secretly released by intelligence operatives under false cover. The efforts within China were intended to foment paranoia among top leaders there, forcing its government to expend resources chasing intrusions into Beijing’s tightly controlled internet, two former officials said. “We wanted them chasing ghosts,” one of these former officials said.
I hate Trump more than Al Franken hates Lindsay Graham, but honestly the US would be stupid to not use the same tools currently being used against our electorate to weaken rivals. I wouldn’t be upset up learn that Biden is doing the same
But a better solution would be regulation of social media and better public education
The effort, which began in 2019
Checks out with the all the racist “memes” about China that took off in english-speaking spaces around this time
probably also something to do with COVID but hey that’s just a guess
Real subtle…cia clandestine mission to sow dissent right around the time he Checks notes Publicly announced tariffs…
I bet China suspected many things…lol
Removed by mod
The real American dream
I mean we know China and Russia do this shit to us, do we really expect that the US does not have similar operations? I think this is just a standard part of espionage now.
Remember: It’s always OK when the US/Israel does it.
It’s never OK when China or Russia does it.
This is how tribalism, indoctrination, and propaganda work. Most of you fall for it hook, line, and sucker (then get mad when people call it out.)
And it’s always OK when Oklahoma does it
I am shocked! SHOCKED! Well, not that shocked.
Funny how people act like only China does this sort of thing and that the US is just a little guy who is far behind on cyber warfare and astroturfing and only does this kind of thing in self-defense. Pointing out how silly that is gets you mass downvoted and being called a shill/wumao.
Broken clock is right twice a day. It’s silly to expect the US to not do something like that, especially with so many other countries doing the same. Plus the rumors that were released were (apparently) true, so there’s not much to complain about there.
The only issue is that Trump has the political subtlety of a clown horn, so I don’t expect the plan to have worked at all
Yeah, it’s okay to do bad things if other people are doing them.
That’s how we make the world a shittier place.
is right
Lmfao
don’t expect the plan to have worked at all
While it’s not being as effective on younger people, anglosphere countries have had their populations grow very anti-China with the sinophobic rhetoric in news outlets and politicians in the last 5 years.
It’s clearly worked, and, like alot of other republican projects (like the border wall), dems have continued this racist shit.
So like, why do we care? CIA exists to do these shenanigans, so dont be mad when they do those shenanigans…
Something tells me you’d care if this was about China influencing US public opinion.
They already do, same with Russia… we fight fire with fire.
