China growing its influence in US using media ecosystem

A study of the corporate records revealed that a subsidiary of the Chinese state-owned radio broadcaster owns a 60 per cent stake in a US company, Policy Research Group reported. 

WCRW is an AM radio station serving the most powerful city in America - Washington. The Communist Party of China (CCP) calls the shots on what gets aired on the station. The station can be heard both on Capitol Hill and at the White House, as per the Policy Research Group. 

WCRW is just one spike in the wheel of media channels that Beijing is using to broadcast China-friendly news and propaganda. 

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), an independent US agency that regulates communications by radio, wire, satellite, cable, and television, forbids foreign governments and their representatives from having a radio license for a US broadcast station. 

China Radio International (CRI) does not have any direct ownership but it does have a majority share in a subsidiary company that leases WCRW.

China has a lot of state-owned and operated news agencies that are famous around the world including Xinhua, almost all media houses in China are viewed as the party mouthpiece. 

China's strategy is to utilize the existing media ecosystem in foreign countries to disseminate China's narrative. 

Policy Research Group reported that it's not that other countries do not employ media to voice their opinions and policies, but the difference is while these nations are openly vocal about the government's involvement in the media outlet, CRI masks its presence. 

Last year in July there were reports of China Daily, owned by the publicity department of CCP, paying over millions in dollars as funding to some most influential publications and newspapers in the US to cater to Chinese propaganda by employing a pro-Beijing spin on contemporary news events. 

China is making aggressive attempts to expand state-run media outlets' reach and influence in different jurisdictions and insinuating state media-fed content into mainstream media channels. 

Communist Party's efforts to widen dominance over state-owned media based outside China are much systematic, demonstrating how CCPs domestic political affair often steers foreign policy priorities. 

There is an immediate need for enhanced transparency of foreign government ownership of media outlets and the labeling of paid content sponsored by foreign governments (POREG).