China
China’s deepfake anchors spread disinformation on social media, Graphika says
Artificial intelligence-generated news anchors have been deployed for the first time to propagandize political content on social media, a U.S. research firm said in its latest report.
The New York-based Graphika said in the report ‘Deepfake It Till You Make It’ that Spamouflage, a China state-aligned influence operation, has been using AI-generated fictitious people to promote China’s global role and spreading disinformation against the United States since late 2022.
Spamouflage, a combination of Spam and Camouflage, is a tactic used by spammers to evade email spam filters by replacing certain letters with numbers. Cyber security researchers use the term, as well as other terms such as Dragonbridge or Spamouflage Dragon, to refer to the pro-Chinese propaganda network on the internet.
Spamouflage is responsible for posting, via fake accounts targeting social media users, thousands of assets that praise China, criticize the United States, and attack the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement as well as Taiwan independence.
Recently it has been “promoting a new and distinctive form of video content on social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube,” Graphika said.
The firm’s researchers spotted and analyzed two “unique” videos featuring a male and a female anchor, both speaking English and appearing to be Caucasian.
The videos used the logo of a “likely fictitious media company” called ‘Wolf News’ with the accompanying slogan “Focus on hot spots and broadcast in real time.”
The male anchor criticized the U.S. government for its “hypocritical repetition of empty rhetoric” in tackling gun violence while the female highlighted the importance of China-U.S. cooperation for the global economic recovery.
Both videos mirrored “past Spamouflage efforts to pass as legitimate news outlets,” said the Graphika report.
Alex, Jason and James
The abundant similarities spotted in the videos and other Spamouflage assets on the internet led to the conclusion about the connection between the two.
China has yet to respond to the Graphika report which points to the alarming potential misuse of sophisticated AI technology in disinformation campaigns by state actors.
Until now, online influence operations have been limited to computer-generated fake faces and fabricated videos but the new videos featured AI-generated fictitious people that looked almost real.
“At first glance, the Wolf News anchors present as real people. Our initial hypothesis was that they were paid actors that had been recruited to appear in the videos,” the team behind the report said.
After further investigation they spotted the anchors’ robotic speech that doesn’t sync with the lips’ movements, as well as numerous grammatical mistakes in the subtitles.
Graphika team said the anchors were likely created using technology provided by Synthesia, a British AI video company.
They found several marketing videos using the same AI-generated duo speaking a number of languages besides English. The male avatar, named Alex in the Wolf News video, was also called Mr Curtis, Jason and James.
“The main benefit of this technology to the creators of the Spamouflage videos appears to be increased efficiency, specifically high-speed, low-cost content production,” the report said, adding that Synthesia’s products can create AI-generated videos in a matter of minutes and subscriptions start at just U.S. $30 per month.
‘Deepfakes, Real Problems’
Influence operations actors “will continue to experiment with AI technologies, producing increasingly convincing media artifacts that are harder to detect and verify,” warned Graphika.
In 2018, the Chinese state news agency Xinhua revealed the world’s first AI news anchor, which was a male image with a voice, facial expressions and actions of a real person.
The avatar was jointly developed by Xinhua and Chinese search engine company Sogou.com.
Xinhua said the English-speaking anchor “can work 24 hours a day on its official website and various social media platforms, reducing news production costs and improving efficiency.”
In the past decade, China has placed great attention on developing AI technology.
The Stanford University’s 2022 AI Index, which assesses AI advancements worldwide, ranks China second in total private investment in AI and the number of newly funded AI companies, only after the United States.
Beijing introduced first-of-its-kind regulation on AI-generated images and videos, or “deepfakes,” in January. According to it, “deep synthesis services cannot use the technology to disseminate fake news.”
The new regulation also said content that endangers national security and interests, damages the national image or disrupts the economy is banned.
The regulation however doesn’t apply to deepfakes generated outside of the country. Critics say its priority is to tighten online censorship and stifle dissent.
Read the rest of this article here >>> China’s deepfake anchors spread disinformation on social media, Graphika says
China
China Unveils Plan to Upgrade Industrial Equipment
China unveiled a comprehensive action plan for upgrading industrial equipment, with a focus on driving technological innovation and economic growth. The plan, released on April 9, 2024, aims to enhance competitiveness and sustainability within the manufacturing sector through extensive investment and regulatory support.
China announced an ambitious action plan for industrial equipment upgrading, which aims to drive technological innovation and economic growth through extensive investment and regulatory support.
On April 9, 2024, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and six other departments jointly released a notice introducing the Implementation Plan for Promoting Equipment Renewal in the Industrial Sector (hereafter referred to as the “action plan”).
Finalized earlier on March 23, 2024, this comprehensive action plan addresses critical issues related to technological innovation and economic development. It reflects China’s proactive stance in enhancing competitiveness and sustainability within its manufacturing sector. The initiative underscores the recognition of industrial equipment upgrading as a top policy priority.
The scope of China’s action plan to upgrade industrial equipment in manufacturing, is extensive, covering various aspects such as:
In line with China’s ambitious goals for industrial modernization and sustainable development, the action plan outlines several key objectives aimed at driving substantial advancements in the industrial sector by 2027.
These objectives encompass a wide range of areas, from increasing investment to enhancing digitalization and promoting innovation, including:
The objectives and key actions proposed in the action plan are summarized below.
This article is republished from China Briefing. Read the rest of the original article.
China Briefing is written and produced by Dezan Shira & Associates. The practice assists foreign investors into China and has done since 1992 through offices in Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Qingdao, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Suzhou, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. Please contact the firm for assistance in China at china@dezshira.com.
China
China deepens engagement with new Indonesian president as top diplomat visits Jakarta
China’s top diplomat met the outgoing Indonesian president and his successor in Jakarta on Thursday, as Beijing deepened its engagement with future leader Prabowo Subianto, amid a competition for regional influence with the United States.
The meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was part of a joint commitment to advance the partnership between the two countries, said Prabowo, who visited Beijing in early April after his landslide win in the February general election.
“It is a great honor for me to welcome him [Wang] today. Thank you for the kind reception I received in Beijing a few weeks ago,” Prabowo said, according to an Indonesian defense ministry statement.
Chinese President Xi Jinping had invited Prabowo to visit, and the latter accepting the invitation raised eyebrows in Indonesia because no president-elect had made a foreign visit such as this one without being sworn in. China is Indonesia’s largest trading partner.
Wang, too, mentioned Prabowo’s Beijing trip, according to the same statement.
“We really appreciate and welcome Defense Minister Prabowo’s visit to China,” he said.
“We are committed to continuing to increase bilateral cooperation with Indonesia, both in the defense sector and other fields such as economic, social and cultural.”
Wang is scheduled to go to East Nusa Tenggara province on Friday to attend the China-Indonesia High-Level Dialogue Cooperation Mechanism, a process to support more effective bilateral cooperation. His Jakarta stop was the first of a six-day tour that also includes Cambodia and Papua New Guinea.
Prabowo and Wang discussed cooperation in the defense industry and sector, with potential measures such as educational and training collaboration, as well as joint exercises, said Brig. Gen. Edwin Adrian Sumantha, spokesman at the Indonesian defense ministry.
In fact, the ministry statement said that “China is Indonesia’s close partner and has had close bilateral relations, especially in the defense sector, for a long time.”
Of course, China has also invested billions of U.S. dollars in infrastructure projects in Indonesia, including as part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative – the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train, which began commercial operations in October 2023, is one such BRI project.
The two countries have drawn closer during outgoing President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s two terms, and Beijing would like that to continue as the U.S. tries to catch up with China’s gargantuan influence in Southeast Asia, analysts have said.
Indonesia, China call for ceasefire in Gaza
Both Indonesia and China shared the same position on Israel’s devastating attacks on Gaza, said Wang’s Indonesian counterpart, Retno Marsudi.
Israel’s air and ground strikes have killed more than 33,000 Palestinians following the Oct. 7 attack on the Jewish state by Palestinian militant group Hamas, which killed around 1,100 Israelis.
“We … have the same view regarding the importance of a ceasefire in Gaza and resolving the Palestinian problem fairly through two state solutions,” Retno told reporters in a joint press conference after meeting with Wang.
“Indonesia will support full Palestinian membership in the U.N. Middle East stability will not be realized without resolving the Palestinian issue.”
For his part, Wang slammed Washington for repeatedly vetoing resolutions calling for Israel to end the attacks on the Palestinian territory it occupies.
“The conflict in Gaza has lasted for half a year and caused a rare humanitarian tragedy in the 21st century,” Wang told the media at the same press conference, according to the Associated Press.
“The United Nations Security Council responded to the call of the international community and continued to review the resolution draft on the cease-fire in Gaza, but it was repeatedly vetoed by the United States.”
The conflict in the Middle East offered a strategic opportunity for China to further expand its influence in Southeast Asia, said Muhamad Arif, a lecturer in international relations at the University of Indonesia.
“China is trying to strengthen its position as a key player in the region,” Arief told BenarNews.
China could present an alternative approach to the conflict in Gaza, he said, which may find approval in Southeast Asia’s largest country, Indonesia, and other Mulism-majority states in the region, such as Malaysia and Brunei.
BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news organization.
Read the rest of this article here >>> China deepens engagement with new Indonesian president as top diplomat visits Jakarta
China
New Publication: A Guide for Foreign Investors on Navigating China’s New Company Law
The sixth revision of China’s Company Law is the most extensive amendment in history, impacting foreign invested enterprises with stricter rules on capital injection and corporate governance. Most FIEs must align with the New Company Law by July 1, 2024, with a deadline of December 31, 2024 for adjustments. Contact Dezan Shira & Associates for assistance.
The sixth revision of China’s Company Law represents the most extensive amendment in its history. From stricter capital injection rules to enhanced corporate governance, the changes introduced in the New Company Law have far-reaching implications for businesses, including foreign invested enterprises (FIEs) operating in or entering the China market.
Since January 1, 2020, the Company Law has governed both wholly foreign-owned enterprises (WFOEs) and joint ventures (JVs), following the enactment of the Foreign Investment Law (FIL). Most FIEs must align with the provisions of the New Company Law from July 1, 2024, while those established before January 1, 2020 have bit more time for adjustments due to the five-year grace period provided by the FIL. The final deadline for their alignment is December 31, 2024.
In this publication, we guide foreign investors through the implications of the New Company Law for existing and new FIEs and relevant stakeholders. We begin with an overview of the revision’s background and objectives, followed by a summary of key changes. Our in-depth analysis, from a foreign stakeholder perspective, illuminates the practical implications. Lastly, we explore tax impacts alongside the revisions, demonstrating how the New Company Law may shape future business transactions and arrangements.
If you or your company require assistance with Company Law adjustments in China, please do not hesitate to contact Dezan Shira & Associates. For more information, feel free to reach us via email at china@dezshira.com.
This article is republished from China Briefing. Read the rest of the original article.
China Briefing is written and produced by Dezan Shira & Associates. The practice assists foreign investors into China and has done since 1992 through offices in Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Qingdao, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Suzhou, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. Please contact the firm for assistance in China at china@dezshira.com.
- China Unveils Plan to Upgrade Industrial Equipment
- China deepens engagement with new Indonesian president as top diplomat visits Jakarta
- New Publication: A Guide for Foreign Investors on Navigating China’s New Company Law
- Lingang New Area in Shanghai Opens First Cross-Border Data Service Center to Streamline Data Export Process
- A Concise Guide to the Verification Letter of Invitation Requirement in the China Visa Process
- Uyghurs remember 1990 Baren Uprising over China’s forced abortions
