President Trump Reportedly Authorized the CIA to Use Chinese Social Media Against Its Government

A bombshell revelation shed light on a covert operation authorized by former President Donald Trump in 2019, where the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was allegedly given the green light to leverage Chinese social media platforms to influence public opinion against the government of Xi Jinping. According to Reuters, Trump’s administration approved a clandestine effort that involved a small team of CIA operatives creating fake online personas to disseminate negative narratives about Xi Jinping's leadership. These narratives focused on allegations of corruption within the ruling Communist Party and criticized China’s Belt and Road Initiative, among other topics.

While neither the CIA nor the Joe Biden administration’s National Security Council has commented on such a program, a spokesperson for  China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that news of the CIA initiative was indicative that the U.S. government relies on the "public opinion space and media platforms as weapons to spread false information and manipulate international public opinion.” Matt Pottinger, a senior official on the National Security Council (at the time), was apparently the one behind authorizing the operation, as claimed by three former officials. 

The objective of this covert operation, as reported by Mediaite, was to allegedly instigate 'paranoia' among top Chinese leaders and divert their attention and resources towards perceived threats on social media. More concrete information was not given, but according to the Reuters investigation, "disparaging narratives were based in fact despite being secretly released by intelligence operatives under false cover."

As per the Reuters report, this alleged operation was also meant to be carried out in countries in which the US and China were competing for influence. One anonymous official familiar with the case said, "We wanted them chasing ghosts." Another former national security official also opened up: "The feeling was China was coming at us with steel baseball bats and we were fighting back with wooden ones."

The internet’s response to these reports has been varied. Some have supported twice impeached ex-prez Trump for his strong stance against China and using unconventional methods to challenge influence. On the other hand, critics have raised concerns about the ethical implications of covertly manipulating public opinion through social media platforms. They argue that such actions could undermine trust in democratic processes and exacerbate tensions between nations. 

Some experts warn that China could use evidence of CIA involvement in social media manipulation to bolster its narrative of Western interference and strengthen its position domestically and internationally. Additionally, there are concerns about the impact of these operations on dissidents, opposition groups, and independent journalists within China. The risk of them being falsely labeled as CIA agents or assets could endanger their safety and hinder their advocacy efforts. 

As per Newsweek, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin remarked during a press briefing: "Concocting and spreading rumors will only get one lose credibility faster. Spreading disinformation cannot inhibit China's progress but will only discredit the U.S. It has also once again shown that the U.S. has spread China-related disinformation in an organized and well-planned way for a long time and it's America's important approach to wage a battle of perception against China."