US vows stronger push against Chinese propaganda
Washington, July 31
The Trump administration signalled a major overhaul of America's global information strategy, identifying China, Russia and Iran as its principal adversaries in what officials described as an escalating battle over global narratives, with Beijing alone spending an estimated $40 billion annually on propaganda and influence operations.
The strategy emerged during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the nomination of Sarah Rogers to head the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the organisation that oversees Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia and other US-funded international broadcasters.
Rogers told lawmakers the agency must modernise rapidly to counter increasingly sophisticated influence campaigns by authoritarian governments.
"China alone spends about $40 billion on propaganda and influence operations," she said.
"I have $1 billion, and most of that goes to salaries and keeping the lights on. But America keeps winning the information war in the sense that people who can choose would choose to come to America over China pretty much any day."
She said China, Russia and Iran were using both traditional media and digital platforms to spread disinformation, while the United States needed to adapt its own communications strategy to changing technologies and audiences.
"We have coordinated bot hives," Rogers said, adding that the United States was also confronting "foreign influence" networks and influence operations that extended into universities and online debates.
During her confirmation hearing, Rogers alleged that Chinese-linked entities had funded activities designed to shape public opinion on strategic issues, including artificial intelligence, and said such campaigns were increasingly amplified through social media.
Responding to a question by Senator Ted Cruz, Rogers argued that Chinese and Iranian influence operations often promoted similar ideological themes while Russia employed more opportunistic tactics.
She said China and Iran devoted significant effort to anti-Semitic narratives, while Russian campaigns were also focused on recruiting support for Moscow's war efforts and exploiting divisions within democratic societies.
Rogers said the United States should focus its information efforts on countries where independent media remain heavily restricted.
"The statutory mission" of USAGM, she said, was to reach audiences "where a free media ecosystem is not possible."
She identified Asia, the Middle East, Iran, Afghanistan and Cuba as priority regions.
"Asia, huge focus. Iran, Afghanistan, Middle East, huge focus," she said, adding that the agency should also strengthen its presence in Africa, where Russia and China have expanded their influence in recent years.
Rather than relying primarily on traditional radio and television broadcasting, Rogers said the agency would increasingly use "short-form video, diaspora group chats, podcasts and other timely forms of engagement" while retaining legacy platforms where necessary.
She argued that credibility remained America's greatest strategic advantage.
"Truth telling is what AGM is for," Rogers said.
"Free people tend to choose America, and the truth sets people free."
Drawing on her travels as Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy, Rogers recalled meeting North Korean defectors who told her that hearing American broadcasts had given them their first glimpse of life beyond their country's tightly controlled information environment.
"These defectors risked torture and risked death, fleeing toward a freedom they'd only heard existed here," she said.
"They heard it from us."
Democratic senators questioned whether the administration's cuts to US international broadcasting had weakened America's ability to compete globally, citing reductions in Voice of America programming and staffing. Rogers acknowledged that the agency needed reform but said she intended to comply with congressional funding decisions while rebuilding its operational capacity.
"My first priority will be to stabilise the agency, strengthen its leadership, modernise its operations, and restore research capacity so we can actually measure reach and viewership," she said.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The irony is that while America claims to fight for "truth", their own media has been caught spreading misinformation on numerous occasions. India should be wary of both Chinese and American influence operations. We need to focus on strengthening our own independent media instead of choosing sides in this propaganda war.
Interesting how they conveniently left out the influence operations the US itself runs through USAID and other agencies. I remember when they interfered in India's internal matters too. This is a global game of narratives, and we in India should be smart enough to see through all of it. Every country wants to control the story.
As an American who has lived in India, I can say both countries have their share of media bias. But the US spending tax dollars to fight propaganda with more propaganda seems counterproductive. If you want to win hearts and minds, focus on genuine diplomacy and development aid, not broadcast wars.
The real question is why is the onus on America to "save" the world with their version of truth? We in India have our own media landscape and our people are smart enough to discern what's good for us. This whole narrative of "liberating" people through propaganda is outdated and neo-colonial.
While I agree that China's propaganda machine is powerful, the US needs to look inward first. Their own media is increasingly polarized and partisan. If they want global credibility, they should start by ensuring their own news agencies are factual and non-biased at home before lecturing others.
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