How Washington’s allegations of ‘overseas influence’ shifted to China from Russia

For much of the past year, accusations of overseas influence operations in Washington – spearheaded mainly by lawmakers from the Democratic Party – have been levelled at Russia over its alleged interference in the 2016 US presidential election. But in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s national security strategy speech, another large Asian country clearly stands accused in the US capital of trying to impose its influence on America: China.

Underscoring the Republican Party’s domination of the US government at all levels and the Trump administration’s America-first mantra, allegations of overseas influence operations against China have moved to the centre of the US political stage.

In addition to Trump’s national security strategy, in which the president accused China of trying to “influence [US] operations, economic inducements and penalties”, such allegations have undergirded Trump-ordered governmental investigations, Congressional committee hearings, legislative recommendations on China’s soft power campaign through educational institutions, think tanks and state-run media.

The apparent goal: shaping a view of China as a powerful threat to US economic prosperity and global prestige.

The focus on China’s alleged influence operations comes as the US government targets mainland Chinese media outlets following similar moves against Russian state media.

Xinhua, Beijing’s official press agency, and state-run China Daily, the country’s largest English newspaper, both have come under heightened scrutiny as critics demand their US staff be registered under US legislation as foreign agents. Xinhua has not complied with the request. China Daily has been registered as a foreign outlet since the early 1980s.

“Americans have a right to know who is acting in the United States to influence the US government or public on behalf of foreign principals,” acting assistant attorney general for national security Dana Boente has said.