A PRC Foreign Ministry spokesperson, quoted by the Xinhua news agency, said that the “report is in itself disinformation as it misrepresents facts and truth.” According to a PRC Foreign Ministry spokesperson quoted by Xinhua, the report is “disinformation,” as it misrepresents the facts and truth. The report claims the PRC is interested in foreign media outlets. This interest is being used to “coopt” voices that present alternative views and to send positive messages about the PRC.
Another accusation involves the use of “digital autoritarianism”. The PRC has been accused of censoring critical voices via online platforms and cracking down suspected online “rumors”. People are asked to report “misinformation about the country”. TikTok was cited as an example of censorship. The report claims that the Chinese company owning the platform “seeks critics of Beijing” by updating lists. The US warns that countries can avoid this by basing their relationships with China on “fact-based assessments” of their sovereign interest.