The Chinese government ran a successful influence campaign in the US state of Utah that officials have deemed a threat to national security, The Associated Press reported on Monday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th March, 2023) The Chinese government ran a successful influence campaign in the US state of Utah that officials have deemed a threat to national security, The Associated Press reported on Monday.
China and its advocates within the United States spent years developing ties to state officials and lawmakers in Utah, the report said, citing a probe by the US news service. The influence campaign allowed Beijing to stall legislation, nix resolutions that condemned its actions and bolster the Chinese government's image, the report said.
US officials believe that local leaders in Utah are at risk of manipulation by the Chinese government, deeming the influence campaign a national security threat, the report said.
The influence campaign has gained the attention of the US Justice Department and raised concerns among lawmakers at the state and Federal levels, the report added.
The campaign is part of a global effort by Beijing to win influence abroad, with its approach tailored to the particulars of different locations, the report said. In Utah, advocates for China appealed to ties to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormon church, the report said.
Groups of up to 25 Utah lawmakers have routinely taken trips to China on a biennial basis since 2007, the report said. Former Utah House Speaker Greg Hughes reportedly said that such trips initially made him bullish on China's future and the potential for improved trade relations, but that he now believes that the visits were used by Beijing to influence him and other lawmakers.
China values its relationship with Utah, the Chinese embassy in Washington reportedly said. Any attempts to stigmatize or smear exchanges between Utah and China are driven by ulterior political purposes, the embassy also said.
The US has provided few details about other states and localities targeted by the Chinese government as part of its influence campaign, the report said. The investigation focused on Utah due to the significant number of allies that Beijing appears to have cultivated in the state, the report said.
The investigation utilized hundreds of pages of records, communications and interviews with key players, the report said.
