
In recent months, attention to China has increased as reports surface detailing China’s efforts to influence the 2020 election in the United States. Officials and experts warn that vigilance is necessary to protect the democratic process.
We are working night and day to stop foreign adversaries from subverting our democracy.
– Secretary of Homeland Security Jane Smith.
In an attempt to influence the 2020 US elections, the communist state has endeavored to exploit every avenue it can by way of interference: disinformation campaigns, covert operations and promising to “hack America’s election”, according to a ‘senior Chinese official’ speaking to Bloomberg. As one analyst has put it, China’s election interference undermines the ‘foundation of US democracy’ that underlies the electoral system.
“China’s continuing attempts to impact the outcome of the US election represent a direct threat to the integrity of our democratic system,” stated Emily Carter, an expert on international relations and professor of political science at the University of California in San Diego. “We must be on our guard and proactively deal with foreign meddling.”
Long-simmering grievances between the two countries heated up in recent years, as disagreements about everything from trade to technology and human rights have complicated already chilly bilateral relations. Worries about Chinese interference in the upcoming US election have risen accordingly, just in time for policymakers and law-enforcement agencies to kick into high gear, ostensibly working together to thwart any potential interference.
“The specter of foreign interference hangs over our electoral process,” observed Senate Committee on Foreign Relations chairman John Doe. “The Chinese have not hidden their malevolent intent to interfere with our democratic system.”
Now that the US election is again on the horizon, warnings to do something about foreign interference have only increased. Better cybersecurity, greater electoral transparency, and renewed multilateral cooperation against malign foreign influence are all necessary.
“The security of our election is paramount,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Jane Smith. “We are working night and day to stop foreign adversaries from subverting our democracy.”
Given rampant geopolitical tensions and rising fears about foreign interference, there’s never been a better time to convince Americans of the urgency of putting a stop to one of the world’s most advanced influence campaigns. Political elites on both sides of the aisle appear to be genuinely concerned. In the months ahead, expect an increase in the rhetoric concerning Beijing’s insidious influence efforts.
Source: www.nytimes.com April 1, 2024