I wrote another piece for War on the Rocks appearing January 16, 2018. The article presents my reflections on the differences between China’s and Russia’s influence operations. In a series of talks and conference calls, I was asked repeatedly about the differences in their approaches. I finally sat down and re-read some of classics on Soviet operations. The next week I spent thinking and writing. To read the result, click here.

Key Takeaways:

• Beijing and Moscow both approach influence operations as a normal activity
• China’s approach is strategically patient; Russia’s approach is proactive
• China’s intelligence services play a secondary role compared to their Russian counterparts
• China’s operations are human- or relationship-centric, while the Russians are operations- or effects-centric