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A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 10 July 2024
Views toward China diverge between rich and middle-income

nations, Pew report shows

By DIDI TANG ritorial disputes.
Associated Press The Philippines, locked in
WASHINGTON (AP) — Glob- a dispute with China over
al views toward China the Second Thomas Shoal
appear to be divided be- in the South China Sea,
tween high-income and was the most worried, with
middle-income countries, about 9 in 10 Filipinos ex-
and the gap apparently is pressing concerns. A simi-
the widest among China’s lar share of those in South
neighbors in the Indo-Pa- Korea and Japan were
cific region, according to concerned, and about 8
a newly released poll from in 10 in Australia were. All
the Pew Research Center three countries are mem-
that surveyed people in 35 bers of an informal group-
countries. ing of four NATO partners in
Fifteen out of the 18 high- the Indo-Pacific. The fourth
income countries surveyed one, New Zealand, was not
expressed unfavorable part of the Pew survey. The
views toward China, with three countries plus India
Japan and Australia lead- were also among the least
ing the pack with more than likely of those surveyed in
8 in 10 in those countries the Asia-Pacific region to
viewing China negatively. describe China as contrib-
By comparison, 14 of the 17 People have dinner behind Chinese lantern displayed at a restaurant in Beijing, China, Tuesday, uting to global peace and
middle-income countries July 9, 2024. stability.
had rosier views of China, Associated Press Thailand, which has no
and Thailand held the most Washington to discuss the and New Zealand at a time with like-minded govern- territorial dispute with Chi-
favorable views of China, war in Ukraine but also to of intensifying competitions ments to push back at na, was the least worried.
with 80% of adults having express concerns over Chi- between Washington and Beijing’s expanding influ- About 4 in 10 expressed
a positive view toward Chi- na. The Western military alli- Beijing over global gover- ences. According to the concerns over China’s ter-
na, according to Pew. The ance is expected to deep- nance. Pew report, many countries ritorial disputes, and 80%
report was released Tues- en cooperation with its four In the Indo-Pacific region, surveyed in the region were of Thai people said China
day as the leaders of NATO Indo-Pacific partners Ja- Washington is forging al- very or somewhat con- contributes to peace and
nations were convening in pan, South Korea, Australia liances and partnerships cerned about China’s ter- stability around the world.q

U.S. disrupts Russian government-backed disinformation

campaign that relied on AI technology

By ERIC TUCKER RT, a Russian-state funded nization that promoted dis- ogy to impact American able to the Russian govern-
Associated Press media organization that information through social elections and amid ongo- ment.”
WASHINGTON (AP) — A has registered with the Jus- media. ing concerns that foreign Among the fake posts,
Russian internet propa- tice Department as a for- An email to RT was not im- influence campaigns by according to the Justice
ganda campaign backed eign agent. mediately returned Tues- adversaries could shape Department, was a video
by the Kremlin that spread It received the support and day. the opinions of unsuspect- that was posted by a pur-
disinformation in the United financial approval of the The disruption of the so- ing voters, like an elaborate ported Minneapolis, Minne-
States and relied on artifi- Kremlin, with an officer of called social media bot plot by Russians to disrupt sota resident that showed
cial intelligence has been Russia’s Federal Security farm comes as U.S. officials the 2016 presidential elec- Russian President Vladimir
disrupted, the Justice De- Service or FSB leading a have raised alarms about tion through a huge but Putin saying that areas of
partment said Tuesday in private intelligence orga- the potential for AI technol- hidden social media trolling Ukraine, Poland and Lithu-
announcing the seizure of campaign aimed in part at ania were “gifts” to those
nearly 1,000 bogus social helping Republican Donald countries from liberating
media accounts. Trump defeat Democrat Russian forces during World
Officials described the op- Hillary Clinton. War II.
eration as part of an ongo- “Today’s actions represent As part of the disruption,
ing effort to sow discord in a first in disrupting a Rus- the Justice Department
the U.S. through the cre- sian-sponsored Generative seized two domain names
ation of fictitious social me- AI-enhanced social me- and 968 accounts on X, the
dia profiles that purported dia bot farm,” FBI Director social media platform for-
to belong to legitimate Christopher Wray said in a merly known as Twitter.
users but were actually statement. The FBI and the Cyber Na-
designed to advance the “Russia intended to use this tional Mission Force also
aims of the Russian govern- bot farm to disseminate AI- worked with with the Ca-
ment, including by spread- generated foreign disinfor- nadian Centre for Cyber
ing disinformation about its mation, scaling their work Security and law enforce-
war with Ukraine. with the assistance of AI to ment in the Netherlands on
U.S. officials said the This May 4, 2021 file photo shows a sign outside the Robert F. undermine our partners in a joint cybersecurity advi-
scheme was organized in Kennedy Department of Justice building in Washington. Ukraine and influence geo- sory about the social me-
2022 by a senior editor at Associated Press political narratives favor- dia bot farm.q