18.9 C
Athens
Σάββατο, 23 Νοεμβρίου, 2024

China using WeChat, other means to shape public policy outcomes in Texas, Florida: Report

Περισσότερα Νέα

- Advertisement -

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is using the WeChat platform and other means to try and shape public policy outcomes in Texas and Florida, according to The Diplomat.

Shortly after the Texas legislature convened for its annual session on January 10, Texas State Senator Lois Kolkhorst, introduced SB147, a bill that would ban governments, companies, and citizens of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea from purchasing land in Texas, according to The Diplomat.

This legislation was triggered by a former Chinese military officer’s 2021 purchase of 140,000 acres of land near Laughlin Air Force Base near Del Rio, Texas. Texas Governor Greg Abbot, on January 15, signalled his support for the bill.

The next day, WeChat, whose content is thoroughly regulated by the CCP, was flooded with misinformation about the legislation.

Starting on 1point3acres (Yi Mu San Fen Di ), a large WeChat public account and online forum and website managed from Shandong, China, narratives emerged describing SB147 as a “new Chinese Exclusion Act,” while avoiding any mention of what triggered it, The Diplomat reported.

- Advertisement -

Additional new anti-SB147 groups emerged on WeChat in the days that followed. As is characteristic of other CCP-sanctioned campaigns on the platform, these WeChat groups had a singular narrative slant. They forbid balanced discussions, kicked out anyone who disagreed, and promoted the most radical (and in this case anti-American) voices.

Those in support of the bill were called “Chinese traitors.” Some posts encouraged users to sabotage pro-SB147 accounts by labelling them as spam, reporting them to the FBI as spies, or even assaulting the users behind them, as per The Diplomat.

Meanwhile, Asia Times recently reported that over a quarter of American firms are prioritizing other countries over China, the American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham China) said.

According to the AmCham China survey, 27 per cent of its members are considering countries other than China when making their investment decisions, mainly due to concerns about an uncertain policy environment in China.

- Advertisement -

ΑΠΑΝΤΗΣΤΕ

εισάγετε το σχόλιό σας!
παρακαλώ εισάγετε το όνομά σας εδώ

The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

Ροή ειδήσεων

ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ

Fatwa against VPNs: A threat to digital freedom in Pakistan

In a rapidly evolving digital world, where technology is increasingly integrated into every aspect of our lives, the internet is often viewed as a...

Strikes and protests increase in China due to unpaid wages and factory closures

Strikes and protests by labourers and industry workers have seen arise in China where such incidences are strictly forbidden. The majority of the protests...

Pakistan: HRCP demands reversal of Anti-Terrorism Act amendment proposal, warns of threats to democracy

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) concluded its 38th Annual General Meeting with a stern call for urgent action to address Pakistan’s worsening...

China’s space ambitions face ‘huge test’ from Musk presence in Trump White House

Tech mogul Elon Musk's potential weight in the second Donald Trump administration is likely to accelerate the US space programme and pose a "huge test" to China's extraterrestrial...

ΔΗΜΟΦΙΛΗ ΑΡΘΡΑ

Φέτβα κατά των VPN: Μια απειλή για την ψηφιακή ελευθερία στο Πακιστάν

Σε έναν ταχέως εξελισσόμενο ψηφιακό κόσμο, όπου η τεχνολογία ενσωματώνεται ολοένα και περισσότερο σε κάθε πτυχή της ζωής μας, το Διαδίκτυο θεωρείται συχνά ως...

Fatwa against VPNs: A threat to digital freedom in Pakistan

In a rapidly evolving digital world, where technology is increasingly integrated into every aspect of our lives, the internet is often viewed as a...

Σε κίνδυνο τα ανθρώπινα δικαιώματα στο Πακιστάν

Η Επιτροπή Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων του Πακιστάν (HRCP) ολοκλήρωσε την 38η Ετήσια Γενική Συνέλευση με μια αυστηρή έκκληση για επείγουσα δράση για την αντιμετώπιση της...

Οι απεργίες και οι διαδηλώσεις αυξάνονται στην Κίνα λόγω των απλήρωτων μισθών και του κλεισίματος των εργοστασίων

Απεργίες και διαμαρτυρίες από εργάτες και εργάτες της βιομηχανίας έχουν εμφανιστεί στην Κίνα όπου τέτοια περιστατικά απαγορεύονται αυστηρά. Η πλειονότητα των διαμαρτυριών διεξήχθη πριν...