China's use of social media platforms like Quora for psychological operations and propaganda is part of a broader strategy to influence international opinion and achieve its strategic goals. This effort, often referred to as "cognitive warfare," aims to shape the thoughts, perceptions, and decisions of foreign audiences.


Here are some key aspects of this strategy and the potential risks involved:

Methods and Tactics
Astroturfing and "50c Army": A common tactic is the use of paid internet commentators, known as the "50c army," to post fabricated social media content. While some studies suggest their primary goal is not to engage in direct arguments but rather to "cheerlead" for China and distract from controversial issues, their activity on platforms like Quora can create a distorted sense of public opinion.

Narrative Shaping: China's propaganda efforts on platforms like Quora are designed to promote specific narratives that are favorable to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). These narratives often include themes such as:

China's peaceful rise: Portraying China as a non-threatening, cooperative global power.

Economic success: Highlighting China's economic development and stability.

Critiques of the West: Spreading anti-Western, and particularly anti-U.S., sentiment.

Justifying policies: Defending policies related to Xinjiang, Taiwan, and other sensitive topics.

"Invisible Manipulation": Chinese military and government writings on cognitive warfare describe a goal of "invisible manipulation" to subtly embed information and shape how audiences understand events. This can involve using a "trolling strategy" to fuel existing biases and influence emotional responses over time.

Use of Foreign Influencers: China also uses foreign influencers and bloggers to create and promote content that supports the government's narratives. These individuals, who may be paid or receive other benefits, can give an impression of independent, credible support for China's policies.

Leveraging AI: The use of artificial intelligence is increasingly being explored to produce more convincing text, images, and videos, as well as to identify and target susceptible audiences.

Risks and Challenges
While these operations are a core part of China's information strategy, they also carry significant risks.

Backlash and Ineffectiveness: The quality of some of these influence operations has been described as "clumsy" by U.S. intelligence officials. When exposed, these efforts can backfire, leading to a loss of credibility and increased public distrust.

Failure to Understand Foreign Psyche: Some analyses suggest that Chinese intelligence and propaganda efforts have struggled to understand the "American psyche" with the same sophistication as other adversaries. This can lead to messaging that is poorly targeted and fails to resonate with the intended audience.

Unpredictable Escalation: The RAND Corporation has noted that a high-risk future scenario is if China's leadership believes that these psychological warfare efforts are more effective than they actually are. If China's online influence fails to produce the desired results, Beijing might respond in unpredictable ways, potentially escalating a conflict.

Distrust and Polarization: The goal of creating an "invisible manipulation" of information is to sow confusion, uncertainty, and mistrust within a targeted society. This can lead to increased social polarization and a breakdown of trust in institutions and media.