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WTH is going on with Chinese disinformation? Assistant Secretary Stilwell on Beijing’s role in spreading coronavirus propaganda

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As Americans began the coronavirus quarantine in mid-March, alarming social media posts and widely circulated texts warned of military-imposed lockdowns and travel bans within the US. New reports suggest that Chinese agents may have played a role in propagating those messages to deliberately sow discord throughout the country.

Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs David Stilwell joined the show to discuss Beijing’s global disinformation campaign and how the Chinese Communist Party has changed in recent years. He also talks about the Trump administration’s Asia strategy and explains what Kim Jong Un’s recent absence might mean for North Korea.

David Stilwell is the Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs. Prior to his appointment as Assistant Secretary, he served in the Air Force for 35 years, beginning as an enlisted Korean linguist, and retiring in 2015 in the rank of Brigadier General as the Asia advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. He served multiple tours of duty in Japan and Korea as a linguist, a fighter pilot, and a commander.

Download the transcript here.

Hosts:
Danielle PletkaMarc Thiessen