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China’s influence has continued to saturate the media of Australia’s northern neighbour, with public and private broadcasters alike found to disseminate Chinese narratives.
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Recent research detailing Chinese efforts to dominate global media outlets would come as no surprise to many in Australia’s national security ecosystem, with US-based think tank Freedom House detailing that 18 from 30 of the world’s democracies have seen an increase in Chinese influence operations over the media.
Influence actions have included intimidation of journalists, dissemination of government written news content and social media manipulation.
Professor Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat, one of the academics who helped compile Freedom House’s findings on Chinese influence, detailed in the Lowy Institute’s The Interpreter this week the extent to which the CCP is influencing Indonesian outlets.
Interestingly, Professor Rakhmat’s findings have illuminated how Indonesian broadcasters have willingly disseminated Chinese government political narratives.
“As China’s President Xi Jinping arrived in Bali a fortnight ago to attend the G20 summit, Indonesian public network Televisi Republik Indonesia began airing Classics Quoted by Xi, a television co-production with state-run China Media Group,” Professor Rakhmat wrote.
Further research into Classics Quoted by Xi has shown that the series has also been aired in Thai and has its own YouTube channel, with inspirational guides including “how to strive for excellence in life”.
Professor Rakhmat’s research into Chinese influence campaigns in Indonesia has also uncovered the methodology used by the CCP to target swathes of the media.
“In recent years, Chinese state-run media outlets such as Xinhua have launched social media accounts in Bahasa Indonesia, recruited local journalist to “tell China’s story”, and cooperated with Antara News Agency, Media Indonesia and The Jakarta Post to republish articles from Xinhua News Agency and China Daily,” he continues.
The professor explains that his research has found an uptick in Indonesian media utilising pro-CCP narratives in their reporting.
However, the research remains unclear whether China’s influence campaign is having its desired effect.
“Yet recent public opinion surveys show that Indonesians’ views of China are deteriorating, mainly caused by China’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea, potential debt traps caused by Chinese investments, and China’s Xinjiang policy,” he explained.
“Still, despite souring public attitudes, in October, Indonesia voted against a draft resolution of the UN Human Rights Council on the ‘Debate on the Situation of Human Rights in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China’.”
Suggestions that Indonesia may have yet to embrace Chinese regional leadership have been reflected in recent polling.
According to the Lowy Institute Indonesia Poll for 2021, “when asked which country is the most important for Indonesia’s economy, 18 per cent choose the United States, while 12 per cent say China. Four in 10 Indonesians (42 per cent) are in favour of investment from the United States, compared to 30 per cent with regard to investment from China”.
These statistics are in areas that are “typically seen as China’s stronghold”.
Meanwhile, “six in 10 Indonesians (60 per cent) either strongly agree or agree that ‘Indonesia should join with other countries to limit China’s influence’, an increase of 10 points since 2011”.
Though, China’s role in influencing Indonesian policy is an ongoing risk, according to Professor Rakhmat.
Already, China is gaining greater influence into Indonesia’s telecommunications network through the Digital Silk Road, with concerns that China will leverage excessive control over the nation’s information sphere.
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