The discovery was remarkable in its extent. Reporters from even small countries like Guinea-Bissau were asked to make deals with Chinese journalists. China was spreading its propaganda newspaper China Daily in English and Serbian. A journalist from the Philippines believed that over 50% of the news on a local newswire came from the Chinese state agency Xinhua. In Kenya, a media organization received funding from Chinese investors and subsequently dismissed a writer who covered China's treatment of its Uyghur minority. Journalists in Peru faced strong criticism on social media from aggressive Chinese government officials. This appeared to be part of a larger strategy to counter the dominance of global news outlets like the BBC and CNN, and to spread Chinese influence in media worldwide. The International Federation of Journalists will release a report on Wednesday shedding light on China's intentions with this newfound power. The report, authored by Louisa Lim, surveyed journalists in 54 countries. The interviews conducted by Lim, a former NPR bureau chief in Beijing who is now a senior lecturer at the University of Melbourne, revealed how China utilized its global media infrastructure to promote positive narratives about itself and spread disinformation as the pandemic spread. The report, co-authored by Julia Bergin and Johan Lidberg, highlights a global power shift in China's media strategy, which the Chinese government says is not unlike what other powerful countries have done for years. The report also notes a new media push by China during the pandemic, as it provided protective equipment and vaccines to countries worldwide while trying to shape the narrative around the pandemic's origin and its diplomatic efforts. Italian journalists were pressured to broadcast President Xi Jinping's Christmas speech and were given a translated version in Italian. In Tunisia, the Chinese embassy provided hand sanitiser and masks to the journalists' union, along with expensive television equipment and free, pro-China content for the state broadcaster. A pro-government tabloid in Serbia displayed a billboard with an image of Xi Jinping and the message "Thank you, brother Xi." The media and vaccine campaigns are linked to China's "Belt and Road" global investment initiative, which comes with obligations such as debt and support in important UN votes. China is facing challenges due to its increasing authoritarianism, treatment of the Uyghurs, and crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong, which have tarnished its global reputation even before the pandemic started in Wuhan. Some governments are starting to make it more difficult for Chinese state media to operate in their countries, such as Britain's media regulator revoking the license of the main Chinese state broadcaster. Despite not having the same cultural or financial influence as European countries, China focuses its diplomacy on countries that have a vote at the UN. China's efforts, though often seeming improvised and managed from local embassies, are making a global impact by reshaping the media landscape country by country. Journalists from five continents who were interviewed for the report had varying attitudes towards Chinese government pressure, with some feeling alarmed and others confident in their ability to navigate the complex media environment. In Peru, there is a strong presence of Chinese influence in the media, with the government being friendly to China and powerful political figures receiving early access to Chinese-made vaccines. Zuliana Lainez, the secretary-general of the National Association of Journalists of Peru, expressed concern about the state media's close relationship with the Chinese embassy, describing them as "stenographers" for China. She also highlighted China's efforts to modernize newsrooms' technology through embassy payments. Some journalists view China's growing presence in global media as a way to increase its influence in the geopolitical landscape, while others, like Stefano Polli from ANSA, see it as a normal commercial arrangement, such as translating and distributing Xinhua news. China has tightened restrictions on foreign journalists within its borders, forcing international news outlets to rely more on official sources and refusing visas to American reporters, including those from the New York Times. Luca Rigoni, a well-known anchor at a TV channel owned by Italian company Mediaset, revealed that his news organization does not have its own correspondent in China but instead had a formal agreement with Chinese state media for coverage in the country. However, this collaboration ceased after Rigoni reported on the theory that the virus originated from a Chinese laboratory. Despite this, Rigoni, whose company is owned by former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, noted that China is not the only country where the government controls major television and radio programs. The general secretary of the International Federation of Journalists, Anthony Bellanger, believes that China is becoming a significant player in the information war, but he also emphasizes the importance of standing up against similar pressures from the US, Russia, and other governments worldwide. A report by Sarah Cook for the Freedom House revealed that Beijing is investing millions of dollars annually to disseminate its messages globally. While the US has a history of utilizing covert and overt influence tactics, its official channels have weakened over time. President Donald Trump has attempted to use American outlets like Voice of America and Radio Liberty as propaganda tools, sparking resistance from Democrats and journalists. The American government's inability to come to a consensus on how to utilize its own media outlets has resulted in a lack of projection. Companies like Netflix and Disney, which are more powerful and well-funded than government efforts, have been taking on this role instead. Journalists worldwide have been doubtful of the effectiveness of Chinese government propaganda, a sentiment that was shared by the author when they received a week's worth of unread China Daily editions at their home. The propaganda that may be successful within China is struggling to compete in the competitive market for people's attention. Eric Oduor, the secretary-general of the Kenya Union of Journalists, noted that China's attempts to promote its content in Kenyan media have not yet had a significant impact. Some argue that even what journalists consider to be amateurish or obvious propaganda can still have an impact. Erin Baggott Carter, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Southern California, has found through her research that American news organizations that allowed their journalists to go on official trips to China shifted their focus from covering military competition to covering economic cooperation. In discussions with journalists from various countries about Chinese influence, it was notable that they did not discuss the United States. In contrast to the American perspective of a global power struggle between two nations and systems of government, journalists from places like Indonesia, Peru, and Kenya described a more unilateral effort by China to expand its influence and promote its narrative. According to Lim, Americans tend to be insular and always view things through a US-centric lens. Many Americans and those in the Western world frequently overlook events in languages other than English, assuming that Western values are universally applicable.