By Neha Sethi
In today’s digital age, information transcends its traditional roles as a source of knowledge, becoming a strategic instrument for shaping political agendas and ideologies. This evolving dynamic has given rise to what is now commonly referred to as “Information warfare” and the struggle for control and dominance over information is central to this phenomenon. NATO defines Information warfare, “As operations designed to gain an informational advantage over an adversary. While the concept is heavily shaped by technological advancements, which have exponentially increased the speed and scale at which information can be disseminated.”
Information warfare involves strategies such as disinformation campaigns, cyberattacks, and electronic warfare employed by state and non-state actors alike, aiming to manipulate public perception and disrupt political processes through an information vacuum, wherein credible narratives are drowned out by high-volume, conflicting content. The Chinese Communist Party has adeptly leveraged the rapid proliferation of social media platforms not only to shape domestic public opinion but also to influence foreign audiences. This strategic use of digital tools for Foreign Interference and Manipulation of Information (FIMI) presents a significant threat to democratic institutions worldwide. According to a report by the European Union, “China’s FIMI activities go beyond the mere dissemination of pro- China narratives; they also involve the systematic suppression of dissenting voices and alternative perspectives that challenge the CCP’s official position.”
Challenges in the Indo-Pacific digital sphere
The four QUAD nations- Australia, India, Japan and the United States have expressed concern over China’s information warfare. In recent years, the CCP has intensified its use of online information operations, coordinated inauthentic behaviour, and disinformation campaigns to influence political discourse in democratic states, particularly within the QUAD nations. Research following the 2020 and 2022 US elections, as well as Taiwan, Canada, Australia, and Europe, reveal the involvement of PRC-linked networks in spreading false or misleading narratives to discredit political candidates and institutions. These influence operations distort global perceptions and seek to erode public trust in democratic institutions, including the military, government, and the media.
Australia presents a particularly stark example of the growing threat. During the 2023 federal elections, the Department of Home Affairs acknowledged that the country remained a target of “sophisticated and persistent foreign interference,” with activities directed toward the government, academia, industry, media and local communities. Disinformation campaigns targeting Australian politicians have been observed on platforms such as X. These campaigns frequently exploit hashtags like #auspol, and #QandA. Posts often appear in both English and Mandarin, indicating an intent to influence both local and diaspora audiences. As noted by The Guardian, these coordinated activities reflect a broader agenda of political interference, aimed at sowing distrust and destabilizing democratic processes.
China’s selective use of disinformation across both military and nonmilitary domains aims to discredit India’s international standing, advance territorial claims, and position China as a responsible global actor. This strategy has been evident in several key incidents, including the Doklam standoff (2017), the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Galwan Valley clash (2020). More recently, Chinese media outlets like CGTN, Xinhua, and global times have amplified false narratives surrounding the Pahalgam attack. These outlets falsely reported that Pakistan had destroyed India’s S-400 system, targeted BrahMos storage facilities and downed an Indian Rafale aircraft. Instead of focusing on accurate reporting, Chinese media outlets largely served as mouthpieces for Pakistan’s perspective, strategically using disinformation to further their political and strategic interests.
China’s disinformation campaign targeting Japan has persisted, focusing on its politics, history, and even natural disasters. Despite growing awareness among the Japanese public , these efforts remain consistent. For example, Xinhua News spread false claims about the Fukushima fallout, alleging that contaminated water released into the sea threatened food safety and marine life, damaging Japan’s international standing. Sanae Takaichi, Prime Minister of Japan faced intense backlash from Chinese netizens over her comments on human rights abuses in Inner Mongolia. Despite this, Japanese media outlets like Nikkei and Asahi continue to expose and debunk China’s disinformation, like regarding the exaggerated claims of pro-independence sentiment in Okinawa.
China seeks to advance narratives that weaken the US- led international order by portraying itself as a responsible global leader. The 2025 Annual Threat Assessment of the US intelligence community notes advanced cyber threats from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) targeting US government, private, and critical infrastructure networks. In September 2021, cybersecurity firm Mandiant and google identified a pro-China disinformation campaign disseminating COVID-19 related falsehoods and propaganda across multiple platforms, seemingly aimed at inciting protests in the U.S. and advancing Beijing’s interest. The US State Department reports that China has established the world’s most extensive online disinformation network, employing it to intimidate US citizens, policymakers, and corporations. During the 2024 US Presidential race, Beijing backed online actors reportedly sought to undermine the credibility of the Biden administration by creating fake X accounts posing as Trump supporters.
Such incidents demonstrate China’s growing capability in sophisticated information warfare and the vulnerability of democracies to foreign manipulation, highlighting the lack of cohesive mechanisms among QUAD nations to counter disinformation from China.
European Union member states have gained significant experience countering Russian disinformation since the onset of Russia-Ukraine war. These insights can provide a foundation for broader international cooperation to strengthen information integrity and defend democratic institutions. The QUAD nations should collaborate with the EU to develop shared mechanisms for detecting, exposing, and countering disinformation from Beijing.
Neha Sethi is a postgraduate in Diplomacy, Law and Business from OP Jindal University. The views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of Kalinga Institute of Indo-Pacific Studies.
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