Doublethink Lab

6/ Iverson Ng’s investigation for Doublethink Lab lays out how this works, and what selective British Overseas Territories can do to protect their interests.

5/ This is what “state–firm fusion” looks like in practice: a blurring of business and politics, where commercial moves are inseparable from strategic goals.

4/ Some of this influence is out in the open like large infrastructure projects.
Other parts are more subtle, embedded in loose regulatory frameworks, business networks, and long-term energy partnerships.

3/And it’s not just Hong Kong.
Across other British territories, the PRC has worked to:
• Expand PRC-funded infrastructure
• Deepen United Front networks
• Forge bilateral financial agreements
• Protect its oil and energy supply chains

2/ We saw how Hong Kong’s open market and free capital movement became a lever for Beijing, building dependencies through investments, infrastructure projects, and regulatory ties to serve political goals.

Near Abroad — The PRC’s State-Firm Fusion in Selected British Territories Examining PRC influence in Hong Kong, BVI, Cayman Islands, Bermuda, and Gibraltar.

The PRC exploits open markets to build dependency and advance its agenda.

In our latest piece in the China Index Spotlight series,
Iverson Ng examines how this plays out in British territories, echoing tactics used in Hong Kong after the handover 🧵

dtl.tw/l9vowq

7/ Interestingly, 5 posts criticized the CCP most likely to agitate both sides of the political spectrum and deepen division.

6/ Our keyword research on “我是台灣人我反綠” ("I am Taiwanese and I oppose pan-green") found 1,006 posts from Mar 13–Apr 15, 2025. About 9% came from coordinated fake accounts.

5/ This table highlights 13 identical posts from 12 accounts, all within a 20-minute window.

4/ This graph shows how often each of the 51 accounts posted the same content as at least 10 others, often within minutes.

3/ Their behavior was highly coordinated — many posting identical or near-identical content (copypasta).

2/ Most accounts used stolen photos from Taiwanese or Asian influencers. Forensic clues — like simplified characters, a HK phone number & familiar “influence-for-hire” patterns — suggest links to the PRC.

Inauthentic Accounts Impersonate Taiwanese to Attack Political Party 51 fake accounts on Threads posed as Taiwanese to attack the DPP, likely linked to China’s influence-for-hire networks.

1/🧵INVESTIGATION: Ahead of the election to recall Taiwanese lawmakers, numerous coordinated fake Threads accounts posing as Taiwanese amplified political narratives that primarily criticized the DPP.

medium.com/doublethinkl...

The Philippines Is a Petri Dish for Chinese Disinformation Inauthentic accounts linked to China are seizing on local political feuds.

Pro-Duterte influencers are increasingly in sync with online accounts that parrot narratives friendly to the Chinese government, raising concerns of foreign influence, Nick Aspinwall writes.

📣 Join us at the first #ChinaIndex Spotlight Webinar where we explore how Thailand 🇹🇭 and Pakistan 🇵🇰 can navigate Beijing's influence through careful policy adjustments

🗓️ Date: Tuesday, July 29, 2025 ⏰ Time: 3:00 PM GMT+8

🔗 Register now: dtl.tw/6dr3vp

Building Digital Resilience: Taiwan’s Urgent Need for Robust Social Media Literacy Education | Global Taiwan Institute Many Taiwanese teenagers no longer watch television after school; instead, social media dominates their daily lives. Platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Rednote are deeply woven into teenagers’ r...

Great to see our TikTok report featured in this timely
@globaltaiwan.bsky.social piece on Taiwan’s need for stronger social media literacy education. globaltaiwan.org/2025/07/buil...

PRC’s Soft and Hard Power Influence in Pakistan China’s influence in Pakistan via CPEC raises concerns over sovereignty, inequality, and security despite economic gains.

The latest #ChinaIndex shows rising PRC influence in Pakistan despite security challenges around CPEC projects like Gwadar Port. Our new report by Haroon Baloch explores CPEC’s impacts and offers practical policy steps on governance, inclusion & security.

medium.com/doublethinkl...

As Close as One Family? Examining PRC’s Influence in Thailand How PRC influence in Thailand challenges sovereignty, transparency, and press freedom — and the policy recommendations needed.

Building on #ChinaIndex data, this case study by Chonlawit Sirikupt delves deeper into how PRC-backed capital and elite alliances are influencing segments of Thailand’s military, media, and universities — often in ways that align with Beijing’s interests.

medium.com/doublethinkl...

7/ Why this matters:

These findings suggest social media habits may be linked to different political perceptions, warranting further study. The study offers a useful snapshot of these trends.

6/ Both active and inactive TikTok users reject pro-unification narratives, and a slight majority say they would be willing to defend Taiwan. Still, active users are more likely to believe that unification wouldn’t change everyday life.

5/ Nearly 90% of respondents dislike the PRC government, but TikTok users report slightly less intense dislike of the PRC government, and are less confident the U.S. would defend Taiwan if attacked.

4/ On cross-strait issues:
- Most respondents blame the PRC for tensions
- But active TikTok users are more likely to also blame the DPP and the U.S.
- They are also more likely to prioritize economic ties over security concerns

3/ While support for democracy remains strong overall, active users are slightly more likely to believe that authoritarianism might be better in some contexts or to be more indifferent to political systems.

2/ Compared to inactive users, active TikTok users:
- Are less likely to support the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)
- Show more support for the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP)
- Still see the KMT as likely to benefit most from PRC influence

1/ Active TikTok users are more likely to get political news from influencers, fan pages, and social media figures. According to our study, more than twice as many active users rely on these sources compared to inactive users.

2025 Taiwan TikTok User Study: Nationwide Online Surveys — Research Data This project conducted an online survey targeting TikTok (and Douyin) users in Taiwan to explore potential differences between active and…

Our new study finds that active TikTok users in Taiwan are more likely to align with Beijing-leaning narratives on cross-strait relations and domestic politics. 🧵

medium.com/doublethinkl...

This is very concerning. The US govt has good reasons to be concerned about Chinese espionage, but broad bans not only undermine the rights of Chinese students, but also America's ability to lead in innovation. My past piece on how to effectively address the issue: www.chinafile.com/reporting-op...

We are honored to announce María Corina Machado as our 2025 Freedom Award recipient.

For years, María Corina Machado has stood defiantly against the authoritarian Maduro regime, and she continues to inspire the Venezuelan people—and us—to dream of a more democratic, freer future.

Full report in Chinese: lnkd.in/gUgkGe6W

Beyond politics, teens raised concerns about safety. They reported cyberbullying, scams, child sexual exploitation, and the ease of creating fake accounts, making misinformation and harassment difficult to track or address.