The Game of Political Interference within the Media
How does the game begin? Well, first you need to find a large pool of media outlets of various forms, online, in print, broadcasting, and Television. The West has a slew of these, so now you define your objective.
Let’s refer to China’s efforts to massage, manipulate, and distort North American Media. So which media forms would they approach? Yes approach, as this process is time-consuming, expensive, and hidden within the economic ideology the West has accepted. Capitalism encourages all forms of enterprise, and these businesses need to advertise. China began this process in the mid-1950s, initially making every effort to infiltrate well-known organizations. This form of espionage and manipulation from within was effective for a moment, but the West’s ability to find and arrest these characters was very effective. So China’s Intelligence Organizations re-imagined their mission. How best can a foreign power influence, manipulate, and divert attention from itself within a foreign country? They did not have to look for the solution too long.
The Media was the central tool from which Communist China could accomplish its goals internationally.
1. Present an image of cultural sharing and exposure within an environment not familiar with Chinese Culture(Chinese Cultural Centers)
2. Present oneself as a friend, noncombatant, cooperative ally
3. Establish full or sectional legal ownership over an opponent’s central industries and businesses that do business with China.
4. Establish budgets targeting media outlets (become important advertisers).
5. Establish various financial partnerships with opponents of wealth entrepreneurs. (Become financially indispensable).
6. Realizing that Cash is King, invest it strategically in significant organizations, businesses, and significant individuals.
Within Canada and the USA China made every effort to present China as a culture and Nation no different than its opponents. Wealthy Chinese are allowed to travel the world spreading their wealth and importance. Cultural Centers within Universities keep an eye on international students and recruit friends for China’s purposes.
Understanding their opponents has been China’s greatest asset. China understands Capitalism, hates it, but will use it for its final solution. The Media’s search for the “Truth” has in many cases been distorted and manipulated by Chinese Government efforts. The Media relies upon revenue, its lifeblood. Understanding this made this stage of intelligence control easier.
Control the Media by purchasing its reliance upon the funds you pay it. An example of how this works is in order. What did China do to sell Huawei’s Technologies 5G pilot project in Latin America? America MOVIL and JAC Motors teamed up to pitch Huawei’s efforts to The Columbian Government, and to others, offering giant automobile plants to build within Latin American Nations, creating employment and massive cash flows. Huawei is actively working to undermine legislation in Latin America and the USA to halt its financial push within the continent. Chinese-controlled businesses and alliances offer revenue, jobs, and possible bribes to achieve their goals.
In 2009 Chinese Controlled Businesses loaned THE New York Times Company $250 million dollars. That same year the same Chinese controlled business purchased 15.9 million Class A shares of the company.
Bezos’s Amazon has direct ties to the highest Chinese Governmental Hierarchy. Billions of dollars flow through Amazon Corp into Beijing-controlled projects. Washington knows this and is monitoring this foreign effort.
WarnerMedia considers China a partner in all their economic and cinematic ventures, and Increasing Time Warner’s strategic priorities within China is the most attractive territory to operate within. Fox News often throws praise to China for its anti-COVID efforts in the EU, sending ventilators and masks to Europe. They do not mention these items have defects. CNN published a story praising China’s “model of control”, quite nearly parroting Chinese Media’s claims that China has complete control of COVID-19 transmission. In 2010 MBC(MSNBC) signed an agreement with China’s state-run media organization Xinhua establishing a business cooperation in their international broadcasting news. While the US and Canadian Governments recognize Xinhua as a foreign mission, these agreements continue to be allowed. Cash seems to be more significant than national security.
Bloomberg LP supported 364 Chinese Firms, directing 150 Billion into its offerings. Of these firms, 159 were directly controlled by The Chinese Communist Party. The Washington Post, ABC, Disney, CNN, and many other media giants have direct or indirect contact with Chinese businesses directly controlled by China’s Government or the Chinese Military. Whether China invests massive amounts of needed funds into a firm or its executive directorships or places multi-millions into advertising campaigns, our media is under siege.
If a foreign power proxies loan, invests, or gives funds to an agent representative, or owner of a firm, organization, or government, there can be unsavory intentions, corruption, or unimaginable forces at work. I give my children a small allowance so they will carry out certain chores. What does China, or any other foreign power, be they Iran, Syria, Russia, or Pakistan want? Something to think about.
The Indo-Sub Continent(India, Pakistan, Asia) Media Industry has been a target for Chinese acquisitions for decades. The Chinese have no difficulty offering investments or purchasing outright media businesses that are usually cash-poor. Gaining control of an entity that is financially impaired is easily done. The Chinese Interior Ministry, along with its Foreign Affairs network can massage and manipulate almost any organization no matter its creed, ethnicity, or religion.
Remember one final but most important fact. When Western Media or Businesses work with organizations controlled, and owned by the CCP and its military, they are subject to China’s use of its laws to advance Chinese global objectives, including their cyber security law, which includes forced technology transfers, leaving companies and data subject to random searches. Many of these “partners” are forced to build data centers in China, where the CCP views data directly.
Furthermore many of these “partners” lose part or control of much of their marketing, advertising, and hiring directives.
In Canada and the US, the CCP has manipulated and infiltrated multiple “cultural Organizations” and ethnic media outlets both on paper and online. CSIS fears many Asian Parent Media Organizations that own cell media outlets in Canada are controlled, staffed, and funded by the CCP. To what ends? A Fifth Column at worst, a means to spread their propaganda, misdirection, and false news at best.
The “Free World” sees the media as a bastion of “TRUTH”. Truth is the enemy of Tyranny. If you cannot defeat “Truth” in an out-and-out battle, the second best method of attack is to poison the minds of those who seek the truth, manipulating and force-feeding them falsehoods. Confusion and chaos are tools of tyranny.
“Knowing others is intelligence, knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is Strength, mastering yourself is true power” (Tao Tzu, Tao Te Ching.)
“Supreme Excellence consists of breaking the enemy resistance without fighting”(Sun Tzu)
Steven Kaszab
Bradford, Ontario
skaszab@yahoo.ca
