Chinese government documents and restricted military journals reveal how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) uses social media like TikTok and Hollywood to target vulnerable young consumers, according to a new book by Peter Schweitzer. It shows how they are targeting and tearing apart the fabric of American culture. Blood Money: Why those in power turn a blind eye while China kills Americans.
“The Chinese military and Communist Party officials have thought deeply and written extensively about waging a “cognitive war” against the United States. “We see it as a powerful weapon for waging psychological warfare against countries,” Schweitzer wrote. “…unfortunately, they have found willing accomplices among the most powerful people in American politics and entertainment. These national leaders continue to turn away from this challenge and They refuse to acknowledge what the government is doing.”
(Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
“Despite its ties to China’s propaganda machine, TikTok has been criticized by American celebrities and others who are ignorant or ambiguous about TikTok’s true nature,” said Schweitzer, a senior contributor to Breitbart News and director of the Government Accountability Institute. It has flourished with the help of thought leaders.” ”
TikTok is operated by ByteDance, which has “ties to the Chinese Communist Party’s military, intelligence, and industrial complex,” he wrote. Although the app “has entered the heart of American culture and is central to the lives of children and young people,” the Chinese government does not allow its citizens to use the app. Instead, the Chinese Communist Party has used the app’s addictive properties to target the minds of America’s youth for its own purposes, while designating TikTok’s powerful algorithms as a top-secret “national security asset.” and are forming.
On September 16, 2020, the headquarters of ByteDance, the parent company of video sharing app TikTok, is located in Beijing, China. (GREG BAKER/AFP via Getty Images)
The first celebrity to promote TikTok was late night talk show host Jimmy Fallon. blood money.
“There’s a really cool app that I’ve been into lately called TikTok,” Fallon told the millions of Americans watching the show. “Do you all know that?”
“If you don’t have it, download it,” he instructed.
Singer Shakira and host Jimmy Fallon appear on the Tonight Show’s “Watch It Once TikTok Challenge” on May 16, 2022. (Todd Owyoung/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
Schweitzer went on to mention other celebrities who have promoted apps aligned with the Chinese Communist Party.
What Fallon didn’t tell viewers was that he partnered with a Chinese company (rather than The Tonight Show itself) to create a series of TikTok “challenges” to drive interest in the app. was. Daytime talk show host Ellen DeGeneres soon issued similarly glowing comments on her show. Rapper Cardi B paid a hefty fee to post a few videos on TikTok that didn’t make much of an impact, but ended up giving the platform her name. None of these celebrities seem to understand the gravity of being used to encourage Americans to download a potential Chinese spy app. The amount paid to them is unknown.
“Celebrities weren’t alone. Major American institutions have stepped up to work with TikTok. For example, in 2019 the NFL announced a multi-year content partnership with TikTok,” Schweitzer added. “I wonder what kind of conversation there was other than ‘Show me the money!'” As we’ll see, politicians also lined up to take advantage of it. ”
Cardi B performs on stage at TikTok In The Mix at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona on December 10, 2023. (Thaddaeus McAdams/Getty Images)
Screen capture of Ellen DeGeneres’ TikTok account on March 9, 2024.
Screenshot of a September 3, 2019 TikTok post announcing the app’s multi-year partnership with the National Football League.
It is detailed in one of the restricted military magazines. blood moneyColonel Dai Xu, a professor at China’s top military academy, People’s Liberation Army (PLA) National Defense University (PLA-NDU), said the real battle between the US and China is “information-driven psychological warfare” and compared apps to TikTok. and social media platforms, etc., turn into “modern-day Trojan horses” for pro-Chinese Communist Party propaganda and values.
(Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
Another key strategist of the People’s Liberation Army, Zeng Huafeng of the National University of Defense Technology (NUDT), wrote about cognitive or spiritual warfare against the United States and proposed ways to defeat the United States without firing a shot.
Schweitzer writes:
Zeng defines “cognitive space” as “the area where emotions, perceptions, understandings, beliefs, and values reside,” and argues that this is where the battle can be won. To that end, the Chinese government must use information and popular psychological and “Cultural products” need to be utilized. According to Zeng, cultural tools such as apps, video games, and movies should be used to “target individuals, groups, countries, and even people around the world.”
Zeng further argued that the Chinese government can gain “spiritual superiority” through several means, including:
- “Cognitive manipulation” by propaganda that changes people’s views on the current situation
- “Cut off historical memory” by distorting people’s views of their country’s past so that people are willing to change their values.
- “Change the paradigm of thinking” by targeting people to change the way they see problems and thereby change their beliefs.
- “Symbolic deconstruction” which forces people to reject certain traditional symbols, thereby altering national identity.
“The ultimate goal is to manipulate the country’s values and achieve strategic goals without engaging in actual overt military combat,” Zeng added.
Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping speaks with all participants in a training session for military academies and principals at the People’s Liberation Army National Defense University in Beijing, China, November 27, 2019. (Image via Li Gang/Xinhua, Getty)
Strategist quoted in Tackling Chinese disinformation on social media He advocated “subliminal messaging” instead of overt political propaganda, advocating influencing Western youth with a soft touch.
Mr. Schweitzer also quoted Mr. Xu Xian’s “conveying our military’s advanced military culture to the world” and stated:
“As for Western audiences, we need to carefully filter the content of our communications to find more points of resonance and common ground. . . . Become adept at ‘softening’ the content, even in the case of positive propaganda.” is needed. For example, we use stories to tell things, to “translate” points of view into stories, and to hide things within stories. . . An open and emotional approach should be adopted. ”
In their “Analysis of Modern Network Media Warfare from the Perspective of Intelligent Technology,” Chinese Communist Party strategists say that propaganda is most effective when it can be directed at “memorable figures” through entertainment. added.
(Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
“The main motive for Gen Z’s content consumption is entertainment,” said Peng Zhengang, deputy director of the Advertising Department, in “Study on Gen Z’s international communication strategy and practice path.” By better understanding the people it is trying to propagate, the Chinese Communist Party can “explore effective communication strategies and avenues. [and] Improve your ability to set the agenda. ”
Chinese psychological warfare experts also have a special interest in “talking the talk” to American youth, Schweitzer wrote.
Liu Liming, a contributor to a publication on Chinese military psychological warfare, said that the Chinese government has “actively cultivated a group of news outlets and think tanks with small audiences that spread ‘gray’ falsehoods, negative stories and conspiracies.” It recommended that a database of theories should be established. It aims to thwart “enemies with a particular focus on targeting young Western audiences’ distrust of mainstream media, politicians, and even values.”
“The evidence is clear: Chinese psychological warfare strategists are targeting Americans, especially young Americans,” he continued. “They believe that not only are young people more susceptible, but the effects of propaganda messages are long-lasting.The Chinese government is dedicating significant resources to understanding how to manipulate young users. The Communist Party government recently opened an external propaganda office targeting Gen Z audiences overseas.
Schweizer points out that American politicians have also lined up to use the app. In fact, just this month, President Joe Biden’s campaign launched an account on TikTok to reach younger voters.
President Joe Biden shakes hands with Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Bali on November 14, 2022. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
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Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her at @thekat_Hamilton.
