Thread by @anderscorr

600 groups in the US are in regular contact with #China's consulate and purposively influencing the policy environment leading up to November elections according to Newsweek. Meanwhile Biden fails to treat China as a serious threat. #2020Election newsweek.com/2020/11/13/exc…

"The scope of alleged activities is enormous, involving social and business gatherings, extensive information campaigns and building political and economic ties that can be leveraged to Beijing's gain ..." -Newsweek

"...recent reports of Hunter Biden's business dealings with a Chinese energy company eager to connect with his father and President Trump's secret Chinese bank account are just the latest high-profile examples that some China watchers find worrisome...." -Newsweek

"...There are also accusations of large-scale economic espionage. In a speech this summer at the Hudson Institute, F.B.I. director Christopher Wray said..." -Newsweek

"...the agency opens a China-connected investigation every 10 hours and that, of nearly 5,000 active counterintelligence cases in the U.S., almost half are related to China." -Newsweek

"The social posts from Chinese actors did not have a clear partisan lean—for instance, they promoted messages in support of both the Black Lives Matter and pro-police Blue Lives Matter movements. The point was not to take a side but rather to boost divisiveness ..." -Newsweek

"...by amplifying competing, emotionally-charged view points." - Newsweek

"Lately Beijing has stepped up negative rhetoric about the Trump administration, harshly criticizing the White House on its statements and actions on Hong Kong and TikTok, among other things, and blasting its COVID-19 response." -Newseek

"'We assess that China prefers that President Trump—whom China sees as unpredictable—does not win reelection,' said Evanina, the government counterintelligence director, in a statement this August." - Newsweek

"The [GT], which is owned by the CPC's People's Daily newspaper, has also made it clear that China favors the Democratic candidate, saying in a recent article, 'Tactically, the US approach would be more predictable, and Biden is much smoother to deal with than Trump.'" -Newsweek

"Another reason China would prefer to deal with the Democrats: The Biden ranks include many people from the previous two Obama administrations, during which China made great strides on the world stage and experienced little opposition." - Newsweek

"Speaking on background, one official described the pattern: 'Say you are governor of a state that has tremendous economic investments in China, or that has a good relationship with China exporting soybeans or grain. China can use that relationship,' say, by asking..." -Newsweek

"...their political or business contacts to make calls to Washington to try and influence policy. It sounds like U.S. political lobbying, 'but you have to know, it's a foreign government playing this game,' the official says." -Newsweek

"The budget of the United Front system [which does China's influence activities overseas], both at home and abroad, was more than $2.6 billion in 2019, Ryan Fedasiuk of Georgetown University's Center for Security and Emerging Technology says...." -Newsweek

"Nearly $600 million of that was earmarked for work aimed at overseas Chinese communities and foreigners, Fedasiuk calculates. The total budget outstripped the Chinese Foreign Ministry's, he found." - Newsweek

"Newsweek has identified the following types of organizations as affiliated with the United Front throughout the U.S.: at least 83 Chinese hometown associations for immigrants from the same place in China; 10 'Chinese Aid Centers;' 32 Chambers of Commerce..." -Newsweek

"...13 Chinese-language media brands; about half of the 70 associations for Chinese professionals in the U.S.; 38 organizations promoting the 'peaceful reunification' of China and Taiwan; five 'friendship organizations and ..." -Newseek

"...129 other groups engaged in a range of activities such as education and culture. In addition, there are 265 Chinese Student and Scholar Associations for the approximately 300,000 Chinese students in the U.S...." -Newseek

"These are connected to CPC politics, often via Chinese diplomats, usually the education secretary in a consulate." -Newseek