Great Power Competition with a Focus on Influence Operations

In collaboration with the client – the Global Engagement Center – this Capstone workshop analyzed seven aspects of China’s ongoing efforts to undermine U.S. global influence while expanding its own. Reflecting on China’s whole-of-government approach to influence operations, each student in this Capstone conducted an in-depth analysis on a discrete topic, identified potential gaps on that topic, and recommended concrete steps the U.S. government might take to mitigate China’s efforts. The topics are as follows:

• PRC Attempts to Influence and Leverage the Chinese Diaspora in Southeast Asia: Singapore, Malaysia, & Indonesia
• Tug of Influence: China’s Use of the Media to Change Israeli Public Opinion
• Rolling Out the “Red” Carpet: How China Seeks to Influence the Nigerian Film Industry, Nollywood, and how the U.S. Government can Counteract
• Nationalizing Zero Days: How Cyber Conferences Reflect China’s Efforts to Control Cyberspace
• State-Sponsored Bullying: How China Shapes Discourse on U.S. Campuses
• China’s Exportation of Authoritarianism through Surveillance Technology: Safe Alternatives to Huawei’s Safe Cities
• Swiping Hazards: Using Dating Apps to Target U.S. military Personnel