Politics
Report: Trump approved secret CIA mission using social media against China
This report was created with support from enhanced software.
According to an exclusive Reuters report, during his presidency, former President Donald Trump authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to conduct a covert operation on Chinese social media. The operation aimed to sow discontent among the Chinese public against its government, as per former U.S. officials familiar with the classified mission.
Three former officials interviewed by Reuters disclosed that the CIA formed a small team of operatives who utilized false online identities to disseminate negative narratives about Chinese leaders. Concurrently, these operatives leaked derogatory intelligence to news outlets. U.S. officials confirmed that the operation was intended to spread paranoia among China’s top leaders.
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Former CIA agents refrained from providing specific details about the mission. However, they mentioned that some of the claims involved allegations of hiding illicit money overseas and accusations of corruption within China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized the U.S. operation, accusing the United States of manipulating international public opinion.
The CIA’s operation reportedly responded to China’s aggressive covert efforts to expand its global influence.
Trump pursued a tougher stance on China compared to his predecessor, signaling a return to Cold War-era methods, according to former U.S. officials interviewed by Reuters.
The impact of the secret operations has not been publicly disclosed, nor is it known whether President Joe Biden has continued the program. Two intelligence historians informed Reuters that covert action authority often persists across administrations when granted by the White House.
Trump has hinted at adopting an even more robust approach towards China if he is reelected in November.
Thomas Rid, a professor at Johns Hopkins University who authored a book on the history of political warfare, expressed concern about the risky nature of the covert operation. Rid warned that it could escalate tensions with China, especially at a time when they could retaliate through trade.
Tags: Central Intelligence Agency, China, Chinese Communist Party, CIA, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, People’s Republic of China, Social Media, White House
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
IN 2019, PRESIDENT TRUMP AUTHORIZED A SECRET CIA OPERATION TARGETING CHINESE SOCIAL MEDIA.
THE GOAL: INFLUENCE CHINESE CITIZENS’ OPINION AGAINST THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT.
NOW, FOR THE FIRST TIME IT’S BEEN PUBLICLY DISCLOSED.
REUTERS REPORTS CIA OPERATIVES WERE TASKED WITH CREATING FAKE INTERNET IDENTITIES AND SPREADING NEGATIVE NARRATIVES AND ACCUSATIONS ABOUT CHINA’S LEADERS. SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE OPERATIVES WERE LEAKING DEROGATORY INTEL TO NEWS OUTLETS. U.S. OFFICIALS CONFIRMED THE OPERATION AIMED AT SPREADING PARANOIA AMONG CHINA’S TOP LEADERS.
FORMER U.S. AGENTS DIDN’T GIVE SPECIFIC DETAILS BUT SAID SOME OF THE ACCUSATIONS INVOLVED CLAIMS THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WAS HIDING ILLICIT MONEY OVERSEAS. THE STORIES ALSO INCLUDED CHARGES OF CORRUPTION IN CHINA’S BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE.
CHINA’S MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS CRITICIZED THE U-S OPERATION, ACCUSING IT OF MANIPULATING INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC OPINION.
THE COVERT OPERATION WAS IN RESPONSE TO CHINA’S AGGRESSIVE COVERT EFFORTS TO FLEX ITS GLOBAL INFLUENCE.
PRESIDENT TRUMP WENT WITH A HARDER LINE THAN HIS PREDECESSORS AGAINST CHINA. THE FORMER U.S. OFFICIALS TOLD REUTERS IT SIGNALED A RETURN TO U.S. METHODS USED IN THE COLD WAR.
THE IMPACT OF THE SECRET OPERATIONS HAS NOT BEEN PUBLICLY DISCLOSED.
IT’S ALSO UNKNOWN IF PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS MAINTAINED THE PROGRAM.
TWO INTELLIGENCE HISTORIANS SAID WHEN THE WHITE HOUSE GRANTS THE CIA COVERT ACTION AUTHORITY IT OFTEN REMAINS IN PLACE ACROSS ADMINISTRATIONS.
TRUMP HAS SUGGESTED HE WILL TAKE AN EVEN TOUGHER STANCE ON CHINA IF HE IS RE-ELECTED IN NOVEMBER.
A PROFESSOR AT JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY, WHO WROTE A BOOK ON THE HISTORY OF POLITICAL WARFARE, SAYS THE COVERT OPERATION WAS A RISKY ONE, CLAIMING IT COULD ESCALATE TENSIONS WITH CHINA, AT A TIME WHERE THEY COULD RETALIATE THROUGH TRADE.
A FORMER CIA ANALYST SAID THE NEWLY UNCOVERED OPERATION ALSO PUTS DISSIDENTS AND INDEPENDENT JOURNALISTS AT RISK BECAUSE THEY COULD BE FALSELY ACCUSED OF BEING INVOLVED WITH THE CIA.
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