WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, delivered an opening statement at the full Committee hearing, “The Malign Influence of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) at Home and Abroad: Recommendations for Policy Makers.” In her remarks, Ranking Member Shaheen expressed concern over growing cooperation between Beijing and Moscow, specifically through global disinformation campaigns. She also emphasized how the Trump Administration’s stop-work order and foreign aid freeze undermines American credibility and gives an opening to countries like China and Russia to fill the void. You can watch her remarks here.
Hearing witnesses included:
The Ranking Member said: “I am deeply concerned by the Administration’s stop work order and foreign aid freeze — actions that could not only lead to terrible human suffering and endanger our national security. They undermine American credibility, and they give an opening to countries like China and Russia who are very happy to fill the void that we leave.”
Ranking Member Shaheen asked the witnesses how cutting off foreign assistance will hinder our ability to prevent PRC investment in Ukraine and more broadly the impact to U.S. national security. You can watch the Ranking Member’s questions here.
The Ranking Member’s opening remarks, as delivered, are below:
Thank you, Mr. Chairman and welcome to each of our witnesses. Thank you all for being here today.
I certainly think Chairman Risch has made some important points that I agree with. We have worked closely together on the Chinese Communist Party’s — the CCP’s — malign activities in the past, activities like supporting Taiwan and Lithuania — that we’ve worked together on – in the face of Beijing’s economic coercion, voting to protect Americans’ user data from being captured by the CCP on TikTok. I think these concerns — as are so many of the concerns about China — are very bipartisan. Just last week at our hearing, Senators from both sides of the aisle highlighted the danger posed by China’s efforts at the United Nations.
Today, China is targeting and exploiting open societies with every tool that they have. They leverage corrupt investments over decision-makers in Africa and Latin America. They have tried to buy off politicians in Australia and New Zealand to undermine democratic elections. They control strategic ports in places like Sri Lanka and Piraeus in Greece. And they conduct covert espionage against American industries from advanced science to aerospace to AI. Given the stakes, I hope each of you today will share recommendations that we can take as policymakers.
Something that I really want to zero in on is the growing cooperation between Beijing and Moscow. At the summit here in Washington last year, NATO labeled China a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s war in Ukraine. But as we’ve seen, this partnership goes both ways. Russia has a lot to teach China when it comes to disinformation campaigns.
Even before the invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s Ministry of Digital Development, Communication and Mass Media was partnering with China’s National Radio and Television Administration. So, when Russia published lies about biolabs in Ukraine, the Global Times — a Chinese Communist Party outlet — picked up the story. And last year we saw Russia and China working together to spread disinformation and to destabilize the Solomon Islands. The Global Times amplified stories from the Russian state-controlled media agency Sputnik, saying the U.S. was seeking a “democratic transition by violent means” in the Solomon Islands. Before our diplomats could refute the allegations, the waters had already been muddled to Beijing and Moscow’s benefit.
China’s leaders have made shaping global and local public opinion a priority. They have bought up entire foreign media companies located outside China to promote pro-Beijing propaganda around the world. They have also targeted fact-based journalists with the New Yorker, The Economist, the New York Times, The Guardian and others. And in many of the worst instances, they have gone after female journalists of Asian descent with harassment, trolling and threats.
Chinese diaspora and human rights groups are also targets. According to the New York Times, they not only attacked a writer living outside Philadelphia who criticized Xi Jinping, they also posted sexually explicit and threatening comments against his teenage daughter. Beijing has used these tactics on its own population at home and has refined them for export abroad. Taken together, these malign actions are a threat to the United States.
And our efforts, sadly, in the information space have not been very effective. The Foreign Malign Influence Center made strides against China and Russia in their attempts to undermine U.S. presidential elections. But Congress’ failure to extend the Global Engagement Center last year, I believe was a serious setback for the State Department’s ability to counter disinformation and propaganda.
China is spending billions of dollars to amplify Russian propaganda, and we need more tools like the Global Engagement Center, not fewer. Of course, as former Ambassador to China Nick Burns said, when I met with him recently on his way home from his ambassadorship — when it comes to how the U.S. responds to China, “the devil is in the details.”
I am deeply concerned by the Administration’s stop work order and foreign aid freeze — actions that could not only lead to terrible human suffering and endanger our national security. They undermine American credibility, and they give an opening to countries like China and Russia who are very happy to fill the void that we leave.
So, I look forward to hearing from you today on how we should think about tackling this complex problem. How can we best defend our transparent, democratic nation from China’s malign influence? How do we position the United States for a future that benefits all Americans? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
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