Setback for autocrats use of sharp power to subvert the West
Zdenek Hrib had been in office for only a couple of months when he first locked horns with Beijing. The youthful mayor of Prague was welcoming diplomats to a reception… Read more »
Search Results for: information operations
Russia’s Murder, Inc.’s long, dark history
President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday Russia is not planning to create a military alliance with China, despite Moscow helping Beijing build a missile attack warning system, Reuters reports… Read more »
Why China’s TikTok is a national security concern
TikTok, the short-form video app that’s been downloaded 1.5 billion times, is one of the most exciting and goofiest places on the internet, and possibly the only truly fun social… Read more »
Despotic Data: Autocrats winning online fight of open vs. closed societies?
A critical differentiator between traditional media and social media is how ‘targetcasting‘ is available only to a specific audience. Such secret targeting tears at the fabric of democracy, says Tom Wheeler, a… Read more »
China and US waging global ‘hearts and minds’ campaigns
As the battle between the US and China over tariffs goes on, an age-old ideological feud is being waged, pitting Beijing’s Communist Party against Washington-style democracy. It’s not a fight… Read more »
‘Blunting China’s Sharp Power’: Long arm of Beijing threatens free speech
The true nature of China’s sharp power was on display this week after Daryl Morey, general manager of the Houston Rockets basketball team, posted a somewhat anodyne message of solidarity… Read more »
‘Gems, Warlords and Mercenaries’: Russia’s sharp power playbook in Africa
Russia lacks China’s muscle when it comes to trade and infrastructure. But it has other assets. One is a shrewd appreciation of the political needs of African dictators, another is… Read more »
Exporting digital authoritarianism: How to build democratic resilience
As Russia, China, and other states advance influence through forms of digital authoritarianism, stronger responses are needed from the U.S. and like-minded partners to limit the effects of their efforts,… Read more »
Pro-democracy protests are ‘rattling’ China’s leadership – and the world
Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement is rattling China’s leadership – and the world, Newsweek reports. “We may be seeing a tragedy unfolding again right before our eyes,” said Stephen Roach, the… Read more »
Do protest movements generate democracy? Liberalism of the streets
Events in both Moscow and Hong Kong show how single-grievance protests can evolve into wider movements, argues FT analyst Gideon Rachman: Between them, Russia and China represent the major geopolitical… Read more »