WASHINGTON—China is using its technological rise to develop “digital authoritarianism” to conduct surveillance and censor information not just within its borders, but around the world, a U.S. Senate report said on Tuesday.
The report, led by Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and conducted by Democratic staff, says China uses technologies such as artificial intelligence and biometrics to keep track of its citizens and control information.
The reports release comes as relations between Washington and Beijing are increasingly strained, with President Donald Trump blaming China for the coronavirus pandemic—which he calls the “China Virus”—and jockeying over trade, human rights, and Beijings military buildup in the South China Sea.
Washington has also been pushing allies to exclude products from Chinas Huawei Technologies from 5G networks, viewing the company as a security threat, and is paving the way for sanctions on it and other Chinese companies.
The report discusses new laws strengthening Beijings control over information, and big government investments in companies developing technologies that support these efforts.
It says China exports digital technologies to increase its influence elsewhere and seeks more clout at international organizationRead More From Source
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