China’s Disinformation and US Elections: What to Watch for in Congressional Contests

Russia may be the primary culprit regularly attempting to influence foreign elections, but since 2018 the Chinese Communist Party has also stepped into the ring, often with a different set of goals, priorities, leverage points, and tactics. Still, based on research and investigations surrounding the 2020 and 2022 midterm U.S. elections, ongoing activity by PRC-linked fake accounts and social media influencers, and recent incidents in Taiwan, Canada, Australia, and Europe – it is almost certain that there will be some attempt made to meddle in the U.S. information environment and influence voters between now and November 5, and possibly in the election aftermath. Learning Lessons From Elsewhere In Taiwan’s general elections in January, for example, alongside a well-documented operation by the Chinese regime to sway the presidential race, reports have also emerged of troll attacks and disinformation targeting parliamentary candidates from the Democratic Progressive Party disfavored by Beijing. In August-September 2023, another campaign in Canada combined social media posts on multiple platforms and AI-enhanced videos that made it appear as if a prominent Chinese dissident was accusing Canadian politicians across the political spectrum of ethical and criminal violations, all the while making anti-Muslim comments. A small number of U.S. lawmakers – including Representative Jim McGovern and Senator Ted Cruz – have faced sanctions from Beijing in retaliation for their own or the U.S. government’s outspokenness on rights violations in China, including Hong Kong.