American billionaire spreading Chinese propaganda in India and abroad: NYT

China is notorious for using its United Front army to exert influence across the world. Now, an investigation led by theNew York Timeshas linked American billionaire Neville Roy Singham to Beijing as one of the biggest spreaders of Chinese propaganda in the US, India, and South Africa among many other countries.

The publication revealed that Singham is a supporter of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and is at the "heart" of the propaganda campaign, working closely with the Xi Jinping government.

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"He [Neville] and his allies are on the front line of what Communist Party officials call a “smokeless war.”

Under the rule of Xi Jinping, China has expanded state media operations, teamed up with overseas outlets and cultivated foreign influencers. The goal is to disguise propaganda as independent content, the report said.

NYT said it has tracked "hundreds of millions of dollars" to groups linked to Singham that mix "progressive advocacy with Chinese government talking points".

Neutral-sounding groups such as No Cold War and US antiwar group Code Pink that used to be critical of China had become Beijing apologists, the daily said.

Jodie Evans, the co-founder of Code Pink and wife of Singham described the Uyghurs as terrorists and defends their mass detention in inhumane concentration camps in the restive Xinjiang province.

“We have to do something,” she said in 2021.

Singham's propaganda links to India

The report mentioned that in India, a news website called 'NewsClick' was also funded by Singham and parroted pro-China views when tensions between the two countries are at an all-time high due to Beijing's hostility on the border areas.

"In New Delhi, corporate filings show, Mr Singham’s network financed a news site, NewsClick, that sprinkled its coverage with Chinese government talking points. 'China’s history continues to inspire the working classes,' one video said," the report said.

The report added Singham's groups produced propaganda YouTube videos that had been racking up millions of views. Additionally, the leaders in these groups influenced real-world politics by "meeting with congressional aides, training politicians in Africa, running candidates in South African elections and organising protests like the one in London that erupted into violence".

NYT said none of Singham's nonprofits have registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, as is required of groups that seek to influence public opinion on behalf of foreign powers.

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Xi Jinping has been extremely vocal about expanding his country's strength through the foot soldiers spread across the globe.

"We must strengthen the building of overseas patriotic forces, cultivate and expand the strength of those who know China and are willing to befriend China, and promote exchanges and mutual learning of Chinese and foreign cultures and civilisations,” said Xi in a speech to the United Work Front Department last year.

In the past, the United Front has been described by Xi Jinping as his secret 'magic weapon'. The operations of most of the members of the United Front are covert and spread beyond the middle kingdom.

Despite Singham's insistence that he is not linked to the Chinese government in any shape or form, he was seen attending a CCP propaganda forum last month, with a notebook having a red hammer and sickle on it.

(With inputs from agencies)

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