Countries should be vigilant about the serious threats posed by China’s expanding global media influence, according to a new report published by the U.S.-based National Endowment for Democracy. The report, titled “China’s Global Media Footprint: Democratic Responses to Expanding Authoritarian Influence,” detailed how the Chinese regime has been “leveraging propaganda, disinformation, censorship, and influence over key nodes in the information flow,” as it expanded its efforts to “shape media content” globally to portray Beijing in a positive light. Between the established practices of diplomatic maneuvering and coercive activities is a gray zone that the report described as “sharp power”—exploiting the openness of Western societies to manipulate foreign media content—which Beijing has capitalized for its gains. “Their sharper edge often undermines democratic norms, erodes national sovereignty, weakens the financial sustainability of independent media, and violates local laws,” stated Sarah Cook, author of the report and research director for China, Hong Kong, …