Concerns have been raised about Chinese propaganda spreading through Pacific island nations with little oversight in order to stir up unease around Australia’s security alliances.
A new report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute says Beijing is trying to stir up a negative perception of the trilateral AUKUS alliance between Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom.
The report said while China also tried to drum up support for its own security arrangements in the region, it fell short on both occasions.
“The Chinese Communist Party is conducting coordinated information operations in Pacific island countries,” the report says.
“Those operations are designed to influence political elites, public discourse and political sentiment regarding existing partnerships with Western democracies.”…