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China’s influence machine: Federal records expose Beijing’s push to sway America
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President Donald Trump’s address to the nation alleging Chinese interference in American elections last week has renewed interest in Beijing’s broader influence efforts in the United States.
Federal records show that a number of Chinese government entities, state-controlled media organizations and China-based companies have registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) to disclose operations with political implications carried out in the United States on their behalf. Lobbying Disclosure Act filings submitted to Congress by other Chinese entities, meanwhile, cover lobbying activity by companies pursuing what they say are purely commercial interests.
Those filings provide a partial public record of how Chinese interests seek to shape U.S. policy, public opinion and commercial decisions, though they do not establish the full scope of Beijing’s activity or prove Trump’s election claims.
Private entities based in China and Hong Kong, many of which have significant ties to the Chinese Communist Party, spend significant amounts of money attempting to influence America. The DOJ recorded over $20 million in FARA expenditures from these entities in 2025, with millions of dollars more being recorded in lobbying disclosures filed with Congress. Chinese government sources, over the same period, spent close to $80 million on FARA expenses.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks during an international business meeting at The Great Hall Of The People on March 28, 2025 in Beijing, China. (Ken Ishii – Pool/Getty Images)
Not every Chinese influence operation happens on the books, however.
Campus groups that the State Department has linked to the Chinese government, such as the Chinese Students and Scholars Association, do not file paperwork with the DOJ, leaving Americans in the dark regarding their operations. Additionally, any groups that fall under China’s United Front Work Department — a global network of CCP loyalists that work to advance Beijing’s interests abroad — don’t file disclosures owing to their clandestine nature.
China hawks have also argued that some powerful domestic nonprofits have significant links to the CCP, giving it yet another mechanism it can use to influence the United States.
«China is committed to promoting mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese and American peoples and advancing exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in areas including trade, education and culture,» a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy told Fox News Digital. «China’s international exchanges and cooperation are open and transparent, with the aim of enhancing mutual understanding and achieving mutual benefit.»
«Portraying China’s normal international exchanges and cooperation as so-called ‘influence operations’ distorts facts and stigmatizes legitimate engagement,» they added.
While the true extent of China’s influence in the United States is unknown, the evidence that is available to the public paints a picture of a broad, multi-front effort to shape how Americans live and think.
‘Propaganda’
Among China’s most prevalent levers of influence is its state-run media apparatus, which academic sources and the federal government often describe as a «propaganda» operation.
Globally, the State Department estimated in 2023 that China spends «billions of dollars annually on foreign information manipulation efforts.»
Five Chinese media operations are registered as active foreign agents in the United States, DOJ records show. CCTV, Xinhua News and China Daily each have direct affiliations with the CCP, whereas Sing Tao News Corporation is privately owned but consistently takes a pro-Beijing stance in its coverage.
CCTV, which is operated by the Chinese government, runs CGTN America, China’s flagship English-language media operation. DOJ filings reviewed by Fox News Digital show that CGTN received $66.8 million in funding from CCTV between February and November 2025 — a significant chunk of China’s overall foreign influence budget.
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China’s President Xi Jinping (R) and US President Donald Trump visit the Temple of Heaven on May 14, 2026 in Beijing, China. (Brendan Smialowski – Pool/Getty Images)
In 2025, CGTN amplified rhetoric similar to that pushed by Democratic politicians.
The network pushed left-of-center rhetoric on issues such as climate change, racial tensions, immigration and the war in Gaza while criticizing Trump’s tariffs as well as his efforts to make Washington, D.C., safer through law enforcement and National Guard deployments. CGTN has also been eager to praise California Gov. Gavin Newsom, seen by many as one of Trump’s chief political rivals.
A 2022 academic paper published by researchers at King’s College in London argued that, despite appearances, CGTN doesn’t aim to influence voter behavior or have a strict ideological slant but rather seeks to portray America as «poorly governed, plutocratic, racist and a destabilizing international influence» in contrast to a China that is «well governed, benign, stable and a rising superpower.»
All the Chinese media operations designated as foreign agents tend to publish similar content. An appendix in one of Xinhua’s filings reveals that the federal government required it to register under FARA because the DOJ believes that it «intends to influence the American public or policy makers on relevant topics such as U.S. policy or foreign relations.»
«Chinese media outlets conduct news reporting and information dissemination in accordance with the law. Labeling outlets such as Xinhua, CGTN and China Daily as ‘propaganda tools’ or ‘foreign influence instruments’ reflects ideological bias and a Cold War mentality, rather than an objective view of international media exchanges,» the embassy spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
The China lobby
Representing the interests of Chinese companies, even those that the U.S. government warns are working on behalf of the Chinese military, is big business for American lobbyists.
Lobbying records show that dozens of American lobbyists have signed new contracts with dozens of companies partially or fully owned by Chinese entities since 2025. FARA records, meanwhile, reveal that seven Chinese companies — Huawei, BOE Technology America, Yangtze Memory Technologies, XH Smart Tech China, Hikvision, Futurewei Technologies and JinkoSolar — maintain active foreign agent registrations in the United States.
A Chinese company advocating for its own commercial interests usually files lobbying disclosures with Congress under the Lobbying Disclosure Act, whereas an organization carrying out what the federal government determines to be political, governmental or broader public-influence work for a foreign principal typically reports to the DOJ under FARA.
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President Donald Trump shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping as they hold a bilateral meeting at Gimhae International Airport, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, in Busan, South Korea, on Oct. 30, 2025. (Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein)
Hikvision, a partially state-owned video surveillance equipment manufacturer based in China, for instance, reports to the DOJ.
The company faces procurement, export and investment sanctions imposed by the United States government following allegations that it aided the CCP in its repression of Uyghur Muslims. It has paid American lobbyists millions to plead its case to the United States government that those restrictions should be dropped.
Since Hikvision is bound by the disclosure requirements of FARA, the public has access to the materials distributed to policymakers on its behalf, as well as information about specific policymakers they contacted, such as a slideshow presentation its lobbyists gave to Pentagon and Department of Commerce officials in October 2024.
Most of the lobbying services purchased by Chinese companies occur under the LDA, which only requires principals to disclose who they’re paying, how much they’re paying and a very basic description of what issues they’re lobbying on. Among the firms retaining American lobbyists are controversial Chinese-owned agriculture companies, major competitors with American industries, state-owned enterprises and firms that the Department of War claims are working on behalf of China’s People’s Liberation Army.
Tencent, a technology conglomerate that the Pentagon recently added to its list of «Chinese military companies,» has spent well over $10 million on lobbying expenses since 2025.
«As the Company is neither a Chinese military company nor a military-civil fusion contributor to the Chinese defense industrial base, it believes that its inclusion in the [Chinese military company] List is a mistake,» Tencent said in a statement after the Pentagon designated it as such. «The Company intends to initiate a Reconsideration Process to correct this mistake. During the process, it will engage in discussions with the U.S. Department of Defense to resolve any misunderstanding, and if necessary, will undertake legal proceedings to remove the Company from the [Chinese military company] List.»
A handful of Chinese companies, including some that have appeared on the Pentagon’s list of Chinese military companies, have even lobbied on issues related to American national security.
Some, such as Sen. Tom Cotton, have accused Chinese entities of abusing the LDA to avoid filing under FARA and complying with its stricter disclosure requirements, which would provide Americans with a fuller accounting of their activities.
Trade, tourism and development?
China, like many other countries, spends considerable funds on convincing Americans to trade with, travel to or invest in it.
The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, for instance, receives hundreds of thousands of dollars from Beijing every six months to travel across the country to act as «the liaison between business, chamber of commerce, trade associations and organizations in China and in the United States to facilitate bilateral trade, investment and economic cooperation,» according to its FARA disclosures.
While CCPIT’s operations appear anodyne, China hawks argue that they may serve a dual purpose.
The Jamestown Foundation, for instance, asserts that CCPIT «has long been identified by the U.S. intelligence community as a united front entity supporting PRC diplomatic goals,» citing a declassified CIA memo from 1957. Sinopis, a research project associated with a Czech university, similarly argues that China uses CCPIT to forge relationships with foreign officials and business groups to ultimately advance Chinese economic and geopolitical objectives.
«Allegations concerning organizations allegedly linked to the United Front Work Department lack factual basis,» the embassy spokesperson told Fox News Digital. «In addition, the CCPIT has long been committed to promoting trade and investment cooperation between China and countries around the world and facilitating economic exchanges. Linking normal trade promotion activities to so-called geopolitical objectives is groundless.»
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Also paid by Beijing to operate in the United States are various offices encouraging Americans to visit China and soliciting investments for ventures in it.
Despite the harsh accusations levied against China, Trump has invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit the United States to discuss artificial intelligence and bilateral relations in September.
lobbying, national security, china, foreign affairs, politics
INTERNACIONAL
Inside Fauci’s private diary: What he wrote about Trump, TV personalities and celebrities
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Newly released diary entries by Dr. Anthony Fauci offer an unfiltered look at what the nation’s top infectious disease expert really thought of the politicians, television personalities and celebrities who filled his orbit during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Released by Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul, R-Ky., the diaries chronicle Fauci’s day-to-day role during the COVID-19 pandemic through meetings, phone calls and personal observations. The release comes days before Fauci is scheduled to testify before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee after being subpoenaed by Paul.
The entries feature everyone from President Donald Trump to Julia Roberts, Steph Curry, Larry Ellison and Hunter Biden, offering an unusually personal look at the people who crossed Fauci’s path during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Early entries portray a warm working relationship between Fauci and Trump. Fauci wrote that Trump repeatedly directed questions to him during White House meetings, called him «the smartest person in the world,» told him, «We are counting on you,» and later appeared «enamored» with him as Fauci’s national profile grew.
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President Donald Trump and Dr. Anthony Fauci are seen during a White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing. Fauci’s newly released diary portrays an initially warm working relationship that later deteriorated as the pandemic unfolded. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Fauci’s relationship with White House chief of staff Mark Meadows deteriorated throughout the pandemic. Fauci wrote that Meadows threatened to keep him off television, repeatedly pushed him to soften his public messaging and, in one entry, recounted Meadows «screaming» over his public comments.
Fauci, however, repeatedly described then-White House communications director Alyssa Farah as an ally during internal battles over media appearances. In one May 2020 entry, he wrote that Farah admitted White House staff had been «holding me back,» said the situation had «gotten out of hand» and promised to begin clearing his television requests again.
Not everyone in the administration’s communications operation earned Fauci’s praise. In a July 2, 2020 entry, Fauci called then-HHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Michael Caputo «a con man who is completely full of sh–,» writing that Caputo publicly claimed to support his television appearances while privately blocking them.
Television journalists also became recurring figures in Fauci’s diary. CNN anchor Jake Tapper appears repeatedly, with Fauci documenting phone calls, text exchanges and dinners at the Tappers’ Washington home.
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CNN anchor Jake Tapper appears repeatedly in Dr. Anthony Fauci’s newly released COVID-19 diary, which documents phone calls, text exchanges and dinners at Tapper’s Washington home. (Bryan Bedder/Variety/Getty Images)
Fauci wrote that Tapper privately checked to make sure a CNN interview hadn’t caused problems with the White House. When The Atlantic’s Peter Nicholas suggested Fauci had been «humiliated» over a canceled Tapper interview, Fauci fired back in his diary: «F— you, Peter.»
After Fauci’s heated exchange with Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, Fauci wrote that CNN’s Dana Bash texted him, telling him he was «a better man» and relaying that fellow CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer had joked no one would have blamed Fauci if he had told Jordan to «go f— yourself.»
The following day, Fauci wrote that Bash texted him again, this time pointing him to a Vanity Fair headline mocking Jordan’s performance at the hearing.
The diary also features colorful asides about billionaire Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, whom Fauci described as «a bit of a loose cannon» while discussing White House efforts to use Oracle technology during the pandemic.
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Fauci served as chief medical adviser to President Donald Trump during the COVID-19 pandemic before later continuing in the role under President Joe Biden. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Beyond politicians and White House aides, Fauci’s diary reads at times like a Hollywood guest list. Actress Julia Roberts hosted Fauci on Instagram Live, sent him flowers and later presented him with an award, while Vogue editor Anna Wintour, comedian Trevor Noah, NBA star Steph Curry, actors Sean Penn and Matt Damon, and rapper Lil Wayne also make appearances as Fauci documented his growing celebrity during the pandemic.
The diary closes with another unexpected cameo. At the 2022 Kennedy Center Honors, Fauci wrote that he hugged Hunter Biden, who joked the internet «would explode» if someone photographed them together because they were both «being attacked by the far right GOP.»
anthony fauci, white house, donald trump, politics, fox news media, coronavirus
INTERNACIONAL
El precio del petróleo se desplomó más de un 5% tras la pausa en los ataques entre Estados Unidos e Irán
Los precios internacionales del petróleo iniciaron la semana con un marcado descenso después de que los mercados reaccionaran a una disminución temporal de la tensión entre Estados Unidos e Irán. La ausencia de nuevos ataques estadounidenses durante dos noches consecutivas generó expectativas de que ambas partes puedan retomar las negociaciones, lo que redujo la preocupación por una interrupción prolongada del suministro de crudo desde Medio Oriente.
En las primeras operaciones de los mercados asiáticos, el barril de Brent, referencia para buena parte del comercio mundial de petróleo, perdió un 5,58% y se situó en 91,38 dólares. En paralelo, el West Texas Intermediate (WTI), utilizado como referencia en Estados Unidos, descendió un 5,46% hasta los 84,43 dólares. La corrección puso fin al fuerte impulso alcista registrado durante las semanas anteriores, cuando el conflicto elevó el temor a una crisis energética de mayor alcance.
El movimiento del mercado estuvo estrechamente vinculado a la evolución del escenario geopolítico. Durante las últimas dos noches no se registraron nuevos bombardeos estadounidenses sobre Irán, una interrupción que fue interpretada por los operadores financieros como una señal de que aún existe margen para una solución negociada.
El embajador de Estados Unidos ante las Naciones Unidas, Mike Waltz, confirmó esa posibilidad al afirmar que el presidente Donald Trump está dando “un poco de margen” a los contactos diplomáticos con Teherán. No obstante, dejó claro que Washington mantiene abiertas todas las opciones.
“El ejército estadounidense (…) tiene todo lo necesario para llevar a cabo esta campaña con la eficacia que se requiere”, declaró durante una entrevista con Fox News.
El portavoz del ejército iraní, Mohammad Akraminia, aseguró que las operaciones de represalia fueron suspendidas tras el cese de los ataques estadounidenses.
“Estos ataques continuaron hasta hace dos noches, pero durante las dos últimas noches los estadounidenses han cesado sus ataques”, afirmó, al tiempo que agregó que, debido a que la estrategia iraní había sido responder a las ofensivas estadounidenses, “también hemos suspendido nuestras operaciones de represalia”.
La evolución del conflicto tiene un impacto directo sobre el mercado energético porque gran parte de las exportaciones mundiales de hidrocarburos dependen del estrecho de Ormuz. Ese corredor marítimo conecta el Golfo Pérsico con el océano Índico y, en condiciones normales, permite el tránsito de aproximadamente una quinta parte del petróleo y del gas natural licuado que se consume diariamente en el mundo.
Las tensiones militares en esa zona habían disparado las primas de riesgo durante las últimas semanas debido al temor de interrupciones en el transporte marítimo. La posibilidad de una disminución de las hostilidades alimentó la expectativa de que la navegación pueda normalizarse progresivamente, reduciendo así la presión sobre la oferta global de petróleo.
Sin embargo, el mercado continúa atento a otros factores que podrían alterar el equilibrio del suministro. Entre ellos figura el bloqueo marítimo anunciado por los rebeldes hutíes de Yemen contra puertos de Arabia Saudita, una medida que añade incertidumbre sobre las rutas comerciales de la región y mantiene elevado el nivel de vigilancia entre los operadores.
La caída de este lunes contrasta con la fuerte escalada registrada durante julio. A medida que aumentaban los enfrentamientos entre Washington y Teherán, el petróleo acumuló importantes ganancias impulsado por el temor a una expansión del conflicto. Antes de esta nueva escalada, un entendimiento alcanzado entre ambos países el 17 de junio había favorecido un descenso de las cotizaciones, con el Brent negociándose apenas por encima de los 70 dólares.
Aunque la pausa en las operaciones militares alivió momentáneamente la presión sobre los mercados energéticos, la evolución de las negociaciones entre Washington y Teherán seguirá siendo el principal factor para determinar el comportamiento del precio del petróleo en los próximos días.
Middle East
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Europe will one day thank Trump for ‘shaking’ it out of its ‘complacency’: UK defense chief
Trump says NATO allies had a ‘bad moment’ for not helping in potential Iran war
President Donald Trump, speaking at the NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey, criticizes Spain, Italy and the UK for not offering immediate support to the U.S. in a potential conflict with Iran. Trump describes their response as a ‘bad moment’ but later emphasizes the ‘tremendous unification’ among NATO members, expressing mutual love and respect.
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The U.K.’s new defense secretary said Sunday that Europe will ultimately thank President Donald Trump for waking up the continent from its complacency and forcing NATO allies to take responsibility for their own security.
Speaking on Sky News, Wes Streeting also signaled a rebalancing of the U.K. government’s transatlantic stance under new Prime Minister Andy Burnham while stating that Britain continued to refuse to back U.S. offensive military action against Iran.
«The first thing you do is you don’t suck up, and… my impression is President Trump, his administration… that’s not what they’re looking for, actually,» Streeting told Sky News anchor Trevor Phillips, stating his perspective on Washington.
«He’s a straight talker. He says what he means and means what he says.»
ANDY BURNHAM TAKES OVER AS UK PRIME MINISTER, CALLS FOR ‘NEW POLITICAL MODEL’
British Secretary of State for Defence Wes Streeting said that Europe will one day thank President Donald Trump for shaking Europe out of its strategic complacency and forcing NATO allies to shoulder more of their own defense. (Carl Court/Getty Images)
«I don’t know him, but I do trust the United States,» he added.
Streeting took charge of the U.K. Ministry of Defence on July 20, the same day Burnham became prime minister.
«I’ve not even been in the job a week. I’ve always been aware that the alliance between the U.S. and the U.K. is unlike any in the world, and of course, that’s historic, it’s cultural, it’s political,» Streeting said. «It’s driven by self-interest as well as mutual shared interests.»
During his first week in office, Streeting also had a call with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to discuss maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz and broader NATO commitments.
«But just in my first week as defense secretary, I have had a unique insight into just how close and integral that relationship is when it comes to defense and security,» Streeting explained.
UK DEFENSE SHORTFALLS HIGHLIGHTED AS BRITAIN AVOIDS IRAN OFFENSIVE ROLE AMID TRUMP CRITICISM
Streeting said he was «very keen and pleased» to meet with his American counterpart, War Secretary Pete Hegseth. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
«And it’s one of the reasons why I was very keen and pleased in the first week to meet with my U.S. counterpart, Pete Hegseth, where I was clear that we’ve not supported offensive action in Iran, and we won’t support offensive action in Iran,» he continued. «But there are plenty of things that we can and should do together when it comes to securing the Strait of Hormuz, in making sure that Iran doesn’t develop nuclear weapons, in terms of investing in our capability and NATO’s capability.»
Trump has long criticized European NATO members for failing to spend enough on defense, arguing they should shoulder a greater share of the alliance’s security burden.
WHO IS ANDY BURNHAM? THE TRUMP CRITIC SET TO BECOME THE UK’S NEXT PRIME MINISTER
«And one of the things I’d say about President Trump specifically… we don’t always like what he says. We don’t always like his methods,» Streeting said. (Stoyan Nenov/Reuters)
At July’s NATO summit in Turkey, Trump pressed allies to follow through on their commitments to increase defense spending.
«And one of the things I’d say about President Trump specifically: we don’t always like what he says, we don’t always like his methods,» Streeting said. «But I genuinely think when this period of history is written, Europe will thank President Trump for shaking us out of our complacency and forcing us to stand on our own two feet and end the period of overreliance on the United States for defense because what he said about Europe isn’t unique to President Trump, the MAGA movement or the Republican Party.»
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«This has been a longstanding grain of U.S. frustration with Europe under Democratic and Republican presidents, and in the world we live in, it is right that we can act to secure ourselves,» he added.
Streeting also said the U.K. could «act with our allies here in Europe and, of course, work with the United States without being overly dependent to the extent that NATO and Europe has been.»
Fox News Digital has reached out to 10 Downing Street for further comment.
united kingdom, andy burnham, donald trump, pentagon, iran
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