The Invisible Hand: Unmasking the CCP's WeChat Misinformation Campaigns and Their Impact on American
In recent years, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been increasingly employing sophisticated tactics to manipulate public opinion and influence legislation within the United States
Photo: Unsplash
One of their primary tools is WeChat, a popular messaging app among Chinese-Americans, which has become a hotbed for CCP-sanctioned misinformation campaigns.
These campaigns, often targeting bills such as Texas' SB147 and Florida's SB264, have successfully mobilized opposition, shaped public discourse, and impacted legislative outcomes.
This article will explore the significance of these misinformation campaigns, how they are being carried out, and why American consumers should be aware of the CCP's covert operations and their potential consequences.
By understanding the depth and reach of the CCP's influence, we can better protect our democracy and ensure that our policies are driven by our values and interests, rather than those of foreign powers.
WeChat and Tencent Holdings: Background
WeChat, China's principal messaging app, social media platform, and payment app, is popular among Chinese Americans.
Tencent Holdings, which owns WeChat, has spent millions of dollars lobbying the federal government and extending its entertainment empire, particularly in the video game business.
This raises questions about the CCP's potential impact in many businesses, as well as the ramifications for user privacy and national security.
According to SocialMediaToday, the United States has around 19 million active WeChat users. WeChat was banned in 2020 by executive order by then, President Donald Trump. According to analysis by opensecrets, “The order was signed in August of 2020.
Tencent ramped up its lobbying spending to $840,000 in the third quarter of 2020, an increase of 1,767% from the $45,000 it spent in the second quarter of that year.” The order was blocked on First Amendment grounds.
The CCP's Misinformation Campaign on Texas' SB147
Texas' SB147 is a bill introduced to ban governments, companies, and citizens of countries such as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea from purchasing land in Texas.
This law was motivated by the purchase of 140,000 acres of land near Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, Texas, by a former Chinese military official. In response, the CCP launched a misinformation campaign against the bill on WeChat.
Narratives portraying SB147 as a "new Chinese Exclusion Act" began to develop on 1point3acres, a large WeChat public account and online community centered in Shandong, China. This misinformation campaign minimized the bill's genuine objective in favor of instilling fear and fury among the Chinese-American community. As a result, numerous anti-SB147 WeChat groups arose, prohibiting balanced debate and pushing extremist, anti-American attitudes.
The campaign also targeted politicians, advocacy groups, and media organizations that supported the bill, labeling them as "Chinese traitors." This narrative fueled considerable resistance from non-Chinese organizations and Democratic Party legislators, many of whom were likely unaware of the CCP's influence in molding public opinion on the measure.
The growing public pressure eventually resulted in bill revisions that addressed some reasonable concerns but did not placate the CCP.
The CCP's Misinformation Campaign on Florida's SB264
Florida's SB264, like Texas' SB147, seeks to prohibit China and six other "countries of concern" from purchasing or holding interests in land near key sites in the state. Once again, the CCP utilized WeChat to spread falsehoods and mobilize opposition to the bill.
A spate of WeChat groups appeared with names like "against-SB264" or "anti new Chinese Exclusion Act," misrepresenting the bill's impact and alleging that "anyone with a Chinese last name will be discriminated against when buying a home." This misinformation campaign instilled fear and panic in the Chinese-American community, resulting in organized protests and opposition.
Zuo Qian, secretary of the American Chinese United Association (ACUA) and head of the North American Economic Herald (NAEH), both of which have close ties to the CCP, was instrumental in organizing WeChat groups to petition, lobby, protest, speak to the media, and attend state hearings in opposition to the bill.
Over 100 opponents of the bill have been successfully mobilized to attend hearings as witnesses, demonstrating the power of the CCP's influence through WeChat.
Both the SB147 misinformation campaign in Texas and the SB264 misinformation campaign in Florida show how the CCP uses WeChat to manipulate public opinion and influence legislation in the United States.
Why Should Americans Care
By recognizing and countering these campaigns, citizens can help preserve the integrity of American democracy and maintain the strength of our society.
First, the CCP's campaigns seek to change public opinion and influence legislation, endangering the democratic ideals that sustain American democracy. Consumers play a critical role in safeguarding the integrity of our democratic processes by ensuring that decisions are made on the basis of factual information and popular will.
Second, there are legitimate worries about national security and privacy. Misinformation tactics by the CCP have the potential to cause confusion, exploit vulnerabilities in American society, and potentially acquire access to sensitive data, putting people' privacy at risk. American consumers can help protect national security by remaining informed and aware of these campaigns.
Furthermore, the economic impact of the CCP's efforts cannot be overstated. Their efforts to influence public opinion and policy can have far-reaching economic implications, potentially hurting American jobs and the US economy's overall competitiveness.
The CCP's engagement in SB147 and SB264 demonstrates the viability of its influence in industries such as technology and entertainment.
Tencent, for example, has already spent millions on lobbying efforts in the United States and has a significant foothold in the gaming business. Consumers in the United States should be wary of the CCP's potential influence in other sectors, as this could have an impact on the quality and integrity of the products and services they use.
Finally, dealing with the CCP's disinformation campaigns is critical in order to avoid creating a dangerous precedent for future foreign influence.
If these efforts go uncontested, it may encourage other foreign players to try to influence domestic policy by manipulating public opinion. By opposing these activities, American consumers can help protect themselves from such efforts by other foreign governments in the future.
Conclusion
The CCP's misinformation campaigns via WeChat pose a serious threat to American democracy, national security, privacy, and economic interests. Understanding the extent and scope of the CCP's power in molding public opinion and influencing legislation allows American consumers to play an active role in preserving the integrity of our democratic processes and defending our society.
Countering these covert efforts and minimizing the potential repercussions of foreign influence requires vigilance and knowledge.
By staying informed, aggressively combating false information, and promoting accurate information, American consumers can contribute to ensuring that our policies and decisions reflect our values and interests rather than those of foreign powers.
As we continue to navigate the complexities of global politics and economics, it is our collective responsibility to safeguard our democracy and national strength.
American consumers can take several steps to counter the CCP's misinformation campaigns and promote transparency. These include:
Staying informed and fact-checking information received on social media platforms, especially on apps like WeChat.
Encouraging open and balanced discussions on important policy issues, instead of promoting an echo chamber that fosters extremist views.
Supporting organizations and initiatives that work to expose and combat foreign influence in the United States.
Advocating for stronger regulations on foreign lobbying efforts and investment in sensitive sectors to reduce the potential for foreign interference.
Raising awareness about the CCP's covert operations and the potential consequences among family, friends, and communities.
In conclusion, the CCP's misinformation campaigns on WeChat illustrate the importance of vigilance and knowledge in protecting American democracy and values.
By staying informed and actively countering false information, American consumers can help ensure that our policies and decisions remain rooted in our values and interests, rather than influenced by foreign powers.