Probe finds Beijing seeking to mislead, sow distrust ahead of US election

U.S. intelligence agencies this week emphasized that Russia, Iran and China remain the primary external forces attempting to influence American voters ahead of the November presidential election.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence reported that the Kremlin is the most active player, using artificial intelligence, fake accounts and fabricated images to promote narratives favorable to Donald Trump’s candidacy.

In contrast, China has not sought to directly influence the outcome of the 2024 presidential race. Sarah Cook, an independent analyst specializing in disinformation, noted that this restraint stems partly from a strong bipartisan consensus in Washington regarding the threat posed by China’s authoritarian government.

With less than 40 days remaining until the U.S. elections, what narratives is China promoting on social media, and how might these affect American voters?

Amplifying polarization

A joint investigation by Voice of America and the Doublethink Lab, a Taiwanese social media analytics firm, is tracking 201 China-related accounts on the social media platform X. One of the main themes of these accounts is amplifying controversial domestic issues in the United States, aiming to deepen societal polarization and sow distrust.

Through both genuine and AI-generated images and videos, Chinese operatives are intensifying divisive social issues, including LGBTQ+ rights, abortion, immigration, race, gun control and crime rates.

One prominent account, CongCong, frequently originates posts that are then shared by others, describing herself as “a sweet and salty little girl who takes life seriously and shares positive energy.”

However, her posts are far from positive. One pinned post features a provocative image of a gun pointed at Gaza, captioned with claims of genocide, depicting Israel as the gunman, the U.S. as the weapon, and the EU as the silencer.

The post was amplified by 40 accounts in the network of China-related accounts VOA is tracking.

Another so-called seeder account, Little Sister Muxi, shared a comparative graphic highlighting the burdens faced by Americans, such as student loans and health care costs, versus the benefits enjoyed by Israelis.

The Israel-Gaza conflict has become a sharply polarizing issue in the U.S. Some Americans support Israel’s right to self-defense, while others express strong discontent with what they see as excessive violence.

Recently, the network has sought to amplify discussions surrounding Intel’s announcement of a 15% workforce reduction, with seeder account CongCong asserting, “This is the decline of the United States, a recession created by the United States itself.” This message was shared by 36 accounts.

Other examples include sharing cartoons from China’s state-owned Global Times that mock the U.S. for its financial support of Ukraine.

AI-generated images depict homeless Americans, implying that U.S. citizens are neglected while the government spends billions on overseas conflicts.

Fake videos illustrating America’s drug epidemic are also common, pushed by the Spamouflage network — a much larger state-sponsored operation aimed at supporting the Chinese government while undermining critics.

This approach mirrors Russia’s tactics during the 2016 U.S. elections, employing information warfare to fracture Western alliances and deepen societal divisions.

MAGAflage

Our investigation has uncovered two “MAGAflage” networks consisting of a total of 25 accounts posing as supporters of Republican candidate Trump, seeking to engage with real American voters.

One network, labeled MAGAflage 1 and consisting of 10 accounts, began sharing pro-Trump content extensively following a July 13 assassination attempt. Using stolen bios and sourced photos, these accounts focused on pro-China content and polarizing U.S. issues while promoting Trump as the savior of America. After VOA’s report, X suspended these accounts for “violating X’s rules.”

Whereas the seeder account in the MAGAflage 1 network aggressively posted pro-China content and frequently cited state media outlets, the seeder of MAGAflage 2 takes a more careful approach. Apart from a few exceptions, this person rarely posts about topics directly related to China and stays closer to U.S. election topics.

All accounts use emoticons in their usernames. Twelve of the 15 accounts use the American flag as one of the emoticons.

They criticize the Biden administration’s immigration policy, promote conspiracy theories and claim that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is responsible for the January 6 Capitol riot.

“These accounts are noteworthy because they go to a great extent to pretend to be American citizens and tried to hide their connection to China,” Jasper Hewitt, a digital intelligence analyst at Doublethink Lab, told VOA Mandarin.

Notably, these accounts do not promote anti-Israel content that other trolls frequently share. Trump recently touted himself as Israel’s “protector,” warning Jewish voters against supporting Vice President Kamala Harris.

“I think this shows that the people behind these operations have a good understanding of the type of content that might resonate with the users they are trying to interact with,” Hewitt added.

Meanwhile, researchers continue to uncover accounts attacking candidates from both parties. Microsoft recently reported a Chinese-linked threat actor, Storm-1852, which has engaged with election-related content on social media, emphasizing a highly interactive approach that includes reposting content, replying to comments and polling users.

This network does not appear to favor any specific candidate.

“It is true that most of the Spamouflage content we have seen so far expresses criticism for both candidates. However, the fact that we found two MAGAflage networks and have not yet encountered any similar accounts that support Harris is still very relevant,” Hewitt from Doublethink Lab added.

Local candidates

In their latest assessment, the U.S. intelligence officials have said most Chinese efforts are aimed not at Trump or Harris, but at state and local candidates perceived as hostile to Beijing.

Our investigation identified a TikTok video criticizing Republican U.S. Senator Josh Hawley, mocking his persistent questioning of Intel executives about forced labor in Xinjiang and labeling him an “anti-China senator.” Hawley is up for re-election this year.

Another video ridicules Democratic U.S. Representative Jerry Nadler from New York, suggesting he appeared to doze off during a hearing while victims’ families testified.

Alongside the presidential election, all 435 House seats and 33 Senate seats will be contested this year. Lawmakers critical of China are likely to become targets of online influence campaigns.

These include members of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, or CECC. Its chair, Massachusetts Representative Jim McGovern, has been outspoken about human rights abuses in China and was barred from entry to China this past July.

New Jersey Republican Representative Chris Smith, co-chair of the commission, has long focused on human rights and religious freedom in China.

In the Senate, Ohio Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown is seeking re-election this year and has faced attacks from Chinese state media for advocating a ban on Chinese-made electric vehicles.