Latest Articles about Information Technology and Telecommunications
In Search of Self-Reliance: Xi Overhauls China’s Innovation System
Introduction In 2016, President Xi Jinping visited Nanchang University in Jiangxi Province to learn more about the work of the National Silicon-based LED Engineering Technology Research Center (Jiangxi News, September 25, 2019). The center caught the attention of China’s leadership after it received first place... MORE
Tracking the Digital Component of the BRI in Central Asia, Part Two: Developments in Kazakhstan
Introduction This is the second of a three-part series describing the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) growing digital presence in Central Asia—part of a larger project commonly referred to as the Digital Silk Road (DSR, 数字丝绸之路, shuzi sichou zhi lu) that supplements the wide-ranging geo-economic... MORE
The CCP is Retooling its Censorship System at a Brisk Pace in 2021
Introduction Earlier this month, a Chinese video-gaming industry site revealed that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central Propaganda Department had introduced a trial review and scoring system for online games produced in China, effective April 1 (Games Teahouse; April 14). Under the new system, games... MORE
Exploring Chinese Military Thinking on Social Media Manipulation Against Taiwan
Introduction Much has been written about China’s social media manipulation in Taiwan following the 2018 nine-in-one local elections, but both Taiwanese and Western analyses have skewed heavily towards the impact of this disinformation, overlooking how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) developed its interest in social... MORE
How the CCP Mobilized a Cross-Border Disinformation Campaign Against the Czech Senate Speaker
Introduction: Propaganda and Disinformation Recent events in the Czech Republic (CR) offer an interesting case study in Chinese propaganda and disinformation. For the purpose of this article, the distinction between propaganda and disinformation is understood to be the following: Propaganda creates a strategic, mostly positive... MORE
Xinhua Infiltrates Western Electronic Media, Part One: Online “Advertorial” Content
Introduction For many years, the People’s Republic of China (PRC)’s state propaganda apparatus has sought to expand its influence among foreign audiences as part of a broader effort to achieve greater “discourse power” (话语权, huayuquan) for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) internationally (CACR, December 15,... MORE
A Different Kind of Army: The Militarization of China’s Internet Trolls
Introduction The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) believes it is engaged in a global struggle for China’s “image sovereignty” (形象主权 xingxiang zhuquan).[1] Party leaders recognize that “the main battlefield for public opinion” is on the internet, and are adamant that “the main battlefield must have a... MORE
GLONASS Program for 2021–2030
In January, Russia started a new federal ten-year program for developing a GLONASS dual-use satellite navigation system. Its main goal, and challenge, is to replace the old generation of satellites with new ones and increase the system’s reliability and preciseness to make it comparable with... MORE
The Belt and Road Initiative Adds More Partners, But Beijing Has Fewer Dollars to Spend
In October 2013, President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) unveiled the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), an ambitious plan to build infrastructure and improve transport connectivity in more than 60 countries across Asia and beyond. Since that time, the BRI has... MORE