CITW 2023 in Taipei: Uniting to Counter Evolving PRC Threats
Last year, Doublethink Lab hosted more than 320 attendees at the fifth annual summit in Taipei, Taiwan, from December 5th to December 7th, 2023. The event included a one-day closed-door meeting, a three-day summit comprising 82 sessions, a media launch, and an Indo-Pacific policy forum that was open to all participants. Many attendees were visiting Taiwan for the first time, and thus had the opportunity to see for themselves the direct threat the PRC poses to life here, to its freedoms and democracy.
We hope that the event made tangible what is at stake in the research and activism to which so many CITW network members have dedicated their lives and careers, thus spurring renewed motivation in what can so often be a difficult and dangerous endeavor. Being in Taiwan also underscored the motivations behind Doublethink Lab’s work as an organization, and as coordinator of the China in the World Network (CITW) itself.
Four out of five participants acknowledged that the summit helped them establish collaborations and relationships with partners, while also enhancing their awareness of the PRC’s global influence.
CITW annual summits are historic occasions that bring together a unique cross-section of researchers whose work is often intriguing and inspiring, and often rarely available outside the confines of the CITW summits themselves.
Over the last few months, Doublethink Lab has reached out to CITW 2023 delegates to seek permission to share recordings of their presentations online. Thankfully, many of those in the community have agreed to let us upload videos of their presentations to our YouTube channel!
The videos are categorized broadly in line with the tracks we covered during the event, and are titled accordingly. We encourage you to share the videos and related insights with your colleagues. Enjoy!
PRC Policy Defenses: Meeting the Challenge in the Indo-Pacific & CITW 2023 Media Reception
Doublethink Lab and the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) kicked off CITW 2023 with a series of presentations and a public panel featuring legislators and influential thinkers from around the Indo-Pacific. At the “China In The World (CITW) Media Reception”, moderated by Doublethink Lab, former chairperson Puma Shen outlined the milestones and vision of the CITW network and flagship China Index project to map the People’s Republic of China (PRC)’s global influence. Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu delivered a keynote speech, discussing Taiwan’s role as a battleground for the PRC’s cognitive warfare against democratic institutions.
The Indo-Pacific policy forum “PRC Policy Defenses: Meeting the Challenge in the Indo-Pacific” brought together prominent international figures to discuss PRC policies. This 60-minute panel, designed to showcase how legislators and policymakers in Japan, the Philippines, South Korea (ROK), and Taiwan are confronting malign PRC influence in the Indo-Pacific, included IPAC members Adrian (Ian) Amatong, Congressman in the Philippines House of Representatives (Liberal Party); Ji Seong Ho, a Member of the Korean National Assembly (Conservative Party); Shiori Kanno, a former Member of the Japanese House of Representatives (and former Democratic Party policy chief); and Poyu Tseng, former Doublethink Lab Deputy CEO and then DPP legislative candidate. The session was hosted by Melissa Chan, a CITW advisory board member and foreign affairs journalist, emphasizing the collaborative effort to address the challenges in the region.
Disinformation & Propaganda
An analysis of China’s historical warfare: Verification of Chinese academic narratives about “Ryukyu”
Presenter: Takashi Hosoda
In the past decade, China’s focus on Okinawa’s sovereignty has intensified. Verifying Chinese historical narratives and assessing Okinawans’ views are crucial to counter China’s cognitive warfare. Currently, no country officially disputes Japan’s sovereignty over Okinawa.
Hybrid Threats in the Black Sea Region — Disinformation & Propaganda
Presenter: Voinea Madalina & Sorin Ionita
This session explores disinformation campaigns eroding Black Sea support for Ukraine, focusing on key actors and narratives, political impacts like the Ukrainian-Romanian Bâstroe Canal scandal, and countermeasures by Expert Forum and regional partners.
Disinformation about Taiwan in Spain
Presenter: Shiany Pérez-Cheng
Growing global interest in Taiwan has influenced Spain, prompting parliamentary actions and revealing disinformation within Spanish institutions. This disinformation, whether accidental or intentional, mirrors Chinese regime propaganda.
Media Convergence: A Frame for Understanding Chinese Influence in the Information Space
Presenter: Kenton Thibaut
This lightning talk explores “media convergence” (融媒体) as a framework for understanding Chinese influence efforts, integrating CCP propaganda across online/offline channels, and diplomatic activities. It argues that China’s influence operations are an integrated ecosystem aimed at advancing Party-state interests.
United Front Work
Comparing the UK and Australia’s Response to PRC Sharp Power
Presenter: Andrew Yeh & Kevin Mooney
This session updates on PRC influence in Australian foreign policy, media, politics, academia, and economy. It compares Australia’s responses to the UK’s, highlighting lessons for policymakers on dealing with PRC economic coercion and malign influence operations.
Courting the Fringe: Exploring how China Cooperates with Far Right and Far Left Political Parties and Media in Czechia and Slovakia
Presenter: Filip Šebok
This talk examines China’s cooperation with anti-establishment political parties and ‘alternative’ media in Czechia and Slovakia. It will discuss the rise of far-left and far-right parties, China’s use of propaganda, and interactions with fringe political figures, focusing on activities by China Media Group.
Africa
China-Russia Potential Frictional Points in Africa: A Futuring Study
Presenter: Gorden Moyo
China and Russia’s conflicting actions in Africa, including Russian-sponsored coups, threaten China’s BRI projects. A study is needed to assess potential ruptures, competition, cooperation, and provide recommendations for civil society, policymakers, and stakeholders.
Europe
China-Europe Academic Engagement Tracker
Presenter: Adam Kalivoda & Matej Šimalčík
China-Europe Academic Engagement Tracker is a tool designed to provide a comprehensive record of how European academic institutions engage with China to help understand the nature and volume of these interactions and improve their transparency. More can be found on the https://academytracker.ceias.eu/ website.
Italy-EU-China: Detect and Deter
Presenter: Matteo Angioli
In March 2019 Italy became the first and only member of the G-7 to join the BRI. The signature of a MoU kicked off a number of projects which were supposed to strengthen the economic, cultural relationship between the two countries. Five years later, the Italian withdrawal from BRI is on the horizon. However, Chinese influence is not ebbing especially with looming EU elections.
Latin America & the Caribbean
Chinese Underpinnings of State Corruption in Ecuador
Presenter: Martha Roldós Bucaram
This lightning talk explores how Ecuador’s authoritarian shift under Rafael Correa led to opaque investments and loans from China. It presents case studies of PRC companies and officials involved in high-profile criminal and civil cases alongside local officials, highlighting the resulting legal and institutional changes.
Chinese Technology Transfers to Latin America: Value Clashes, Geopolitical Conundrums and Economic Incentives
Presenter: Pablo Matamoros & Sascha Hannig Núñez
This lightning talk examines why Latin American countries accept or reject Chinese technologies, assessing middle-power dissemination of sensitive tech. It explores the U.S. and China’s efforts in tech investments, political agreements, and the impact on privacy, digital rights, and soft power capabilities in South America.
Triads, Snakeheads, and Flying Money: The Underworld of Chinese Criminal Networks in Latin America and the Caribbean
Presenter: Leland Lazarus & Alex Gocso
Latin America and the Caribbean face high violence and corruption rates, exacerbated by transnational criminal organizations, including Chinese criminal networks. This presentation analyzes Chinese groups’ involvement in fentanyl precursor shipping, money laundering, wildlife trafficking, and migrant smuggling, highlighting the indirect benefits to PRC officials.
PRC cooperation in Central America: Distinguishing Facts from Myths
Presenter: Javier Melendez & Julio Martinez
The session will introduce the China-Central America Observatory, highlighting China’s engagements in Central America beyond optimistic narratives. The presentation challenges portrayals of prosperity, revealing trade deficits and issues with loan agreements, emphasizing the need for in-depth analysis and clarity.
From Infrastructure to Cyberspace: China’s Tech Footprint in Colombia
Presenter: Christian Heinze
Colombia Risk Analysis will present a comprehensive report on the surge in Chinese technology investments in Colombia, covering sectors like telecommunications, infrastructure, and healthcare. The report highlights potential digital lock-in and cybersecurity vulnerabilities, emphasizing the balance between technological advancement and security risks.
Southeast Asia
China’s Muslim Diplomacy in Indonesia
Presenter: Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat & Yeta Purnama
China has detained an estimated two million Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang for re-education. Despite international criticism, many Muslim countries remain silent due to China’s influence. This presentation analyzes China’s ‘Muslim diplomacy’ in Indonesia, highlighting efforts such as promoting positive narratives, building relations with Muslim organizations, offering scholarships, and expanding media outreach.
Forward-Looking
Countering Co-Opted Elite Enabling of PRC Influence Operations: Recent Lessons from Canada
Presenter: Charles Burton
Between fall 2022 and spring 2023, leaked Canadian government documents revealed illegal actions by Chinese agents and implicated Canadian officials. Despite public outcry, the government was slow to act, eventually establishing a Public Inquiry on Foreign Interference. Concerns persist about the inquiry’s effectiveness and delays in enacting a Foreign Influence Transparency Registry.
Conclusion
As these videos demonstrate, CITW annual summits are often the first occasions that PRC-related research and thought lines are shared among colleagues. Scanning the list of these public resources reads like an index of major China-focused reporting in 2024, from alleged elite capture in Canada to China’s efforts to engage with and influence entities on the extremes of the democratic political spectrum, particularly around election time.
There is of course more to come. We applaud the efforts of all CITW members and encourage them to keep up their outstanding work in this, the biggest election year in history, and look forward to reflecting and throwing forward when we reunite for CITW 2024.
Further reading: CITW 2022 Open Sessions Introduction
