DW: China's creeping media influence and how democracies can repel it

The Chinese Communist Party does not take kindly to criticism, either at home or abroad.

But while its extremely low Press Freedom Index ranking reveals the extreme measures it takes to control information in China, influencing media narratives around the world is more difficult, Deutsche Welle reports.

But that hasn't stopped it from trying. A new report, released on September 8 by US-based free speech think tank Freedom House, reveals that from 2019 to 2021 China made a concerted effort to expand its media footprint and silence critical reporting.

The report examines 30 democracies around the world and finds that in 18 of them, the Chinese Communist Party has increased attempts to influence media from 2019 to 2021.

In 16 countries, their efforts are ranked "high" or '"very high," meaning China has attempted to establish multiple methods of exerting pressure.

These methods include intimidating journalists and news outlets, providing Chinese state media content to local and national news organizations, amplifying pro-China voices on social media, controlling information flows to the Chinese diaspora and gaining a hold on content distribution platforms.

It is all a large-scale effort to control China’s image abroad, explains Freedom House’s Angeli Datt, co-author of the report. "Beijing's goal in undertaking this aggressive and expensive global campaign is to shape public opinion and distort how people view the party and its actions," she told DW.

China's aggressive tactics

Intimidation and censorship, what the report refers to as the "sharper edge" of Beijing's influence, are the most open attempts to sway international coverage.

The report refers to censorship and self-censorship by worried journalists and businesses in Israel, Ghana, the UK, Argentina, Brazil, Malaysia, Taiwan and India among others. It specifically highlights campaigns of cyberbullying directed at a Chinese-American journalist and Chinese-Australian researcher who published critical pieces.

DW also spoke to a Chinese journalist based in Europe, on the condition of anonymity, who spoke of fears of what might happen to their family if they were to report openly and critically about China. "It's not just yourself you have to worry about," they said.

But other efforts to expand Chinese control can be more difficult to expose and counter, especially as China's actions are not always negative.

The media and telecommunications infrastructure that China has established in multiple African countries has allowed many more people to access the internet and satellite TV services.

"[China] would not have achieved even its limited success to date if it were not addressing genuine needs," the report acknowledges. "The availability of Chinese mobile technology and digital television services has expanded access to information and communication for millions of people, particularly in Africa and Southeast Asia."