China’s Social Media Manipulation Targets Western Governments

A China-linked network of online operatives has been exposed for using social media to influence political events in Spain, sparking concerns that similar tactics could be in play in the United States. The operation, known as “Spamouflage,” posed as activists and human rights defenders to incite public unrest following deadly floods in Valencia.

According to a report from Graphika, the Chinese-backed network spread messages in Spanish and English across platforms like X, Facebook, TikTok, and BlueSky. The campaign attacked both Spain’s national government and Valencia’s regional leadership, amplifying criticism of how the flooding was handled. This marks the first documented instance of the group explicitly calling for the removal of a Western government.

Spamouflage has been active in multiple countries since 2017, with previous interference efforts detected in Canada and the United States. During the 2024 presidential election, Chinese operatives reportedly posed as American voters to spread controversial narratives online. Rather than backing a particular candidate, their objective appeared to be sowing distrust and division among U.S. citizens.

A similar strategy was observed in Spain, where Chinese accounts pretended to be local activists, pushing narratives meant to erode confidence in leadership. The exposure of this operation raises concerns that China may be deploying comparable efforts ahead of future U.S. elections, using social media to manipulate public sentiment.

China has denied allegations of political interference, with its Washington embassy claiming in 2024 that it had “no intention and will not interfere” in U.S. elections. However, past reports indicate that Beijing has attempted to influence lawmakers and public opinion in multiple Western nations.

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