Beijing tried to influence US 2022 midterm elections to stop ‘anti-China’ forces: Report
China tried to influence US midterm elections in 2020 as per US intelligence report
A declassified US intelligence report revealed Monday (Dec 18) that China doubled down on its influence operations within the US and tried to shape the outcome of certain races in the 2022 midterm elections.
The report claimed that China’s meddling was aimed at supporting candidates deemed “pro-China” and countering candidates who are known to be “anti-China".
It added that the influence operations targeted candidates from both Democratic and Republican parties.
“China tacitly approved efforts to try to influence a handful of midterm races involving members of both US political parties,” the report said.
Russia and Iran also partner-in-crime
Along with China, Russia and Iran also undertook efforts to meddle in US 2022 midterm elections, the report said.
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The focus of the alleged meddling was to shift the narrative in favour or against certain candidates, and not to hack into the election infrastructure.
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“We assess that most foreign actors now appear largely focused on amplifying authentic US public narratives to try to influence electoral outcomes, increase mistrust in US election processes, and stoke sociopolitical divisions,” said the report.
While China targeted certain races and candidates, Russia tried to affect the overall election, aiming “to undercut the Democratic Party and political support for Ukraine,” the report said.
Meanwhile, the report also accused Iran of trying to exploit perceived social divisions in the country.
“Tehran’s efforts during the midterms probably in part reflected resource limitations because of competing priorities and the need to manage internal unrest,” the report said.
Social media used in such covert operations
The influence operations were carried out by the covert use of social media accounts and proxy websites, payments to influencers and the use of public relations firms, said the report.
It also added that China has intensified efforts to influence US elections since 2020, with senior Chinese leadership justifying it as a response to “what they believe is an intensified US effort to promote democracy at China’s expense.”
(With inputs from agencies)