Recently, the 45,000-square-meter rooftop solar photovoltaic power station of Zhejiang Mingde Precision Machinery Co Ltd, located in the Deqing Economic and Technological Development Zone in East China's Zhejiang Province, was connected to the grid for power generation.
This rooftop photovoltaic power station has a total installed capacity of 5.7 megawatts, capable of generating over 5.3 million kWh of electricity annually, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 4,400 tons and generating revenue of 3.7 million yuan ($507,000) for the enterprise.
According to reports, Zhejiang Mingde Precision Machinery Co Ltd manufactures machinery and equipment components with a complete industrial chain of "casting + machining + product assembly."
During visits, staff from State Grid Huzhou Electric Power Supply Company discovered that a large portion of the company's factory roof remained undeveloped. They utilized the "Photovoltaic Sky Eye" platform to calculate the available area for rooftop photovoltaics, assess the potential of photovoltaic resources, and promote rooftop photovoltaic development for the enterprise.
In March this year, State Grid Huzhou Electric Power Supply Company fully leveraged its resources to support project advancement. They established a "Power Service Express" that provided one-stop services for business consultation and technical guidance throughout the process, from project application acceptance and access scheme formulation to construction design review and grid-connected acceptance and commissioning. The project was completed within six months, demonstrating the "acceleration" of power supply services.
Since the start of this year, State Grid Huzhou Electric Power Supply Company has focused on building the "greenest" energy consumption system. Together with government departments in Deqing county, it established the country's first county-level energy green transformation and development center to promote technological innovation, industrial upgrading, and new models in the energy sector.
The local power supply company has signed aggregation agreements for 420,000 kW of photovoltaic resources on the virtual power plant platform, with all energy storage users.
It has continued to develop the "observable, measurable, adjustable, and controllable" functions of distributed photovoltaics, enabling all 52 distributed photovoltaic dispatching terminals in Deqing county to be observable and measurable, with the total installed capacity of photovoltaic power generation reaching 201,200 kWh.
"Cognitive Warfare" has become a new form of confrontation between states, and a new security threat. With new technological means, it sets agendas and spreads disinformation, to change people's perceptions and thus alter their self-identity. Launching cognitive warfare against China is an important means for Western anti-China forces to attack and discredit the country.
Some politicians and media outlets have publicly smeared China's image by propagating false narratives in an attempt to incite and provoke dissatisfaction with China among people in certain countries. These means all serve the US strategy to contain China's rise and maintain its hegemony. The Global Times is publishing a series of articles to reveal the intrigues of the US and its allies' China-targeted cognitive warfare and expose its lies and vicious intentions.
In the 17th installment of the series, the Global Times revealed how the US military-industrial complex orchestrates cognitive warfare campaigns against China to incite the Philippines to confront China, how the US government has transitioned from the forefront to the background to exert influence on the Philippines, and what tactics have been used in these cognitive wars.
From manipulating public opinion through hyping the South China Sea issue to launching smear campaign against Chinese vaccines in the Philippines, the US military-industrial complex has been exposed for persistently instigating the Philippines behind the scenes to fabricate biased or false narratives and foment public misunderstanding regarding China.
Experts warned that this strategy risks pushing the Philippines toward greater conflict and jeopardizes its own interests.
What lobbying groups are behind these cognitive warfare efforts against China? What ties do they have to the US Department of Defense, the US government, and the Philippine military? And ultimately, what tactics do they employ in their coordinated cognitive warfare assault? This investigative report aims to unravel these dirty tricks.
Military forces disguised as think tanks
In the process of supporting the Philippines in provoking disputes with China over the South China Sea, there is a non-negligible American think tank behind the scenes, known as Project Myoushu at Stanford University, which focuses on South China Sea security issues.
The project became well-known to the public due to a notorious smear campaign against the China Coast Guard (CCG) in February 2023. Project Myoushu claimed that China had harassed the Philippines Coast Guard (PCG) vessel by citing a so-called source. Subsequently, the PCG asserted that a Chinese ship had directed a laser at the PCG, while then US State Department spokesperson, Ned Price, further fanned the flames by stating that the US stands with its ally in the face of alleged laser incidents. The Chinese Foreign Ministry later clarified the facts, saying that the CCG's on-site operations are professional and res trained, and the claim made by the Philippines has no basis in fact.
Taking its name from an "inspired move" in the ancient Chinese game Go, Project Myoushu was established in 2022. Ray Powell, who served in the US Air Force and currently leads Project Myoushu at Stanford University's Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, is an active figure in the narrative campaign against China on the South China Sea issue.
Reports show that Powell had served 35 years in the US Air Force, including a posting in the Philippines. After retiring in November 2021, Powell joined Stanford University as a research fellow.
In July 2023, Ray Powell visited with then Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos of Western Command to discuss "how to leverage emerging technologies to help improve maritime domain awareness and illuminate gray-zone activities in the West Philippine Sea," according to SeaLight's website, an organization at Stanford University that Powell led.
The term "gray zone activity" has been used by some officials and scholars in the US to discredit China's policies and legal actions in the South China Sea. They use this term to accuse China of employing non-military means to "change the status quo" or "create tension."
"This is a blatant inversion of reality. In fact, labeling China with various cognitive tags regarding the South China Sea issue is itself a manifestation of the US' use of the 'gray zone' strategy," said Ding Duo, deputy director of the Institute of Maritime Law and Policy at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies.
Powell has also given interviews to US-funded media sources to support the Philippines or levy groundless accusations against China over the South China Sea issue.
In addition to Powell and Project Myoushu, another think tank with military ties has been found to openly intervene in the South China Sea issue.
According to an article in the US Naval Institute's magazine Proceedings, the US Naval Institute initiated the Maritime Counterinsurgency (COIN) Project in July 2022, with support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
The project is specifically aimed at China's activities in the South China Sea, as it has claimed that "China is working below the threshold of armed conflict to subjugate the large civilian maritime population of Southeast Asia […] who depend on access to the South China Sea for their daily livelihoods."
The initial concept of Maritime COIN has sparked intense discussion in the US and its partners since 2019. Several high-ranking US military officers, including Admiral John Aquilino, Vice Admiral William Merz, and Rear Admiral Fred Kacher, have been influenced by this concept.
According to the US Naval Institute, the Maritime COIN has published 19 articles from July 2022 to April 2024, and many of the authors have US military backgrounds. A retired Philippine rear admiral is also among them.
US arms firms also have stakes in the South China Sea issue. According to the arms transfers database of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the US has transferred many pieces of military equipment including aircrafts, ships, missiles, armored vehicles, and engines to the Philippines over the last 10 years.
Manila is also planning to procure a US-made Typhon mid-range capability missile system, according to Armed Forces of the Philippines chief General Romeo Brawner Jr, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported on August 29.
Observers said that US weapon makers are eager to see tensions in the South China Sea rise, so that they can sell more of their products to make profits. Sophisticated network built on cognitive warfare players
The influence of the US military-industrial complex extends beyond the South China Sea issue, bleeding into other areas as well.
In June, Reuters published an investigative report revealing that during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the US military secretly launched a campaign to counter what it saw as China's growing influence in the Philippines. At the time, the Philippines had one of the worst inoculation rates in Southeast Asia.
Citing three former US military officials, a Reuters report referenced the operation as having been pushed by then US Special Operations Command Pacific General Jonathan Braga, who was reportedly a longtime advocate of increasing the use of propaganda operations as a tool in the global geopolitical competition.
The Pentagon's audit concluded that the military's primary contractor handling the campaign, General Dynamics IT, a US-based global aerospace and defense company, had employed sloppy tradecraft, taking inadequate steps to hide the origin of the fake accounts, according to a person with direct knowledge of the review, Reuters reported.
Why did the US launch such a cognitive war against Chinese vaccines? Reuters provides an answer: To counter what it perceived as China's growing influence in the Philippines. At the time, the Philippines had received vaccine aid from China, while US-produced vaccines had not yet been introduced in the Philippines.
These highly similar tactics lead to a suspicion of a connection between the narrative campaigns over the South China Sea and Chinese vaccines. Following the clues, the Global Times discovered that the key figures behind both operations are intricately linked.
The Global Times found that Braga, one of the initiators of the vaccine campaign, once visited the Hoover Institution in February 2020, engaging fellows in a roundtable discussion about the threats his command faced in the region. One of the fellows he met with is research fellow Joseph Felter.
The ties between the two individuals go far beyond this. Felter once served in the US Army Special Forces, while Braga was quickly reassigned to command the US Army Special Operations Command in mid-2021 after the launch of the vaccine campaign against China.
Joe Felter, as the former deputy assistant secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia, is familiar with the situation in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines. He served as the principal advisor to senior US Department of Defense leadership for all policy matters pertaining to the development and implementation of defense strategies and plans for the region. Felter's resume shows that he has also been a military attaché in the Philippines.
Moreover, he also co-founded the defense company BMNT, which has close ties to the Pentagon and US military giants like Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, according to the company's official website. Felter's role as a bridge between the US military and the Philippines has since become clear.
Felter is the director of Stanford University's Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation. This indicates that Powell, while working on Project Myoushu, is required to report to Felter as the head of the center.
The intricate connections between Powell, Braga, and Felter, along with their profound military backgrounds, make the player network picture behind two typical cognitive wars against China much clearer. A significant shift in strategy
The connections also highlighted a significant shift in the US' strategy: The military-industrial complex has begun to play an active role in the cognitive war against China.
"The US military-industrial complex is often involved in many global conflicts. Driven by its own interests, it benefits from escalating regional tensions," Chen Xiangmiao, director of the World Navy Research Center at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times.
By creating instability in the region, the complex aims to stimulate demand from countries around the South China Sea, thereby fulfilling its economic interests, he noted.
The military-industrial complex seeks to leverage these initiatives to encourage the US Congress to approve larger budgets and to push the US Department of Defense to procure more weapons, Chen said.
The interests of the military-industrial complex are clearly driving the US strategy of cognitive warfare against China, Chen noted.
The expert further stated it is clear to see that the US government has shifted from a front-stage role to a behind-the-scenes one. This can help avoid direct involvement in controversies that may provoke public resentment or skepticism, as well as prevent "factual conflicts" with China.
Meanwhile, by packaging think tanks as neutral and objective "academic authorities," the US can better exert global public opinion pressure, according to Chen.
"This strategy may push the Philippines to escalate tensions in the region, ultimately jeopardizing its own interests. The Philippines is by no means the winner of the cognitive war," he stressed.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has embraced a recent panda craze as the third pair of giant pandas, gifted by the central government, arrived in the city on Thursday with enthusiastic crowds and panda-themed decorations welcoming the "national treasures."
The pair, An An, a male, and Ke Ke, a female, both born in June 2019, arrived at Hong Kong International Airport by special flight from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport at around 11 am, and then was transferred to a special bus to arrive at their new home in Ocean Park Hong Kong at around 1 pm, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Upon arrival, the two will be quarantined for 30 days. Afterward, they will spend time acclimating to their new environment before meeting the public in December, Xinhua revealed.
They are to join four others currently living in Hong Kong, bringing the total number to six, making it the city with the largest number of giant pandas outside the Chinese mainland, chinanews.com reported.
On Thursday afternoon, escorted by local police, the panda convoy smoothly entered the Ocean Park Hong Kong. Accompanied by the park's band, dozens of eager panda enthusiasts waved panda-shaped balloons and signs, cheering in joyful welcome, the Global Times learned.
"The adorable image of the giant panda is simply irresistible," said Jane, a member of the crowd.
"The event was quite grand and impressive, clearly showing that the Hong Kong SAR government places great importance on this new pair of giant pandas. We were also very excited," Jane told the Global Times on Thursday.
"When I talked to my friends in the mainland about this, they mentioned that the previous pandas that came to Hong Kong live long lives, so they feel reassured about An An and Ke Ke's arrival," Jane said.
The central government gifted Hong Kong with its first pair of giant pandas in 1999. However, both pandas passed away in 2016 and 2022 at the ages of 38 and 35, respectively. Jia Jia, which died at 38 in 2016, was the world's longest-living captive giant panda. The central government gifted a second pair in 2007 and they had recently given birth to twin panda cubs, Xinhua reported.
Now with six pandas, Paulo Pong Kin-Yee, chairman of Ocean Park said on Thursday that the nursing team has made thorough arrangements to care for the lovable mammals. The two exhibition halls feature four designated areas for the pandas, ensuring ample space for their needs. Additionally, sufficient staff is available to ensure the well-being of the pandas, Pong stated, according to Hong Kong's local media.
The arrival of the new pair came ahead of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, which is also a highlight of the hundreds of celebrations in Hong Kong.
LONGi Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "LONGi"), a China-based solar technology company, recently published a research paper titled Perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells with bilayer interface passivation online in the journal Nature as the first corresponding author. It reported the research results of breaking through the efficiency limit of single-junction solar cells by developing crystalline silicon-perovskite dual-junction tandem solar cells.
The dual-junction tandem solar cells are considered to have the potential to exceed the theoretical efficiency limit of single-junction solar cells in terms of photovoltaic conversion efficiency. For decades, research institutions and teams worldwide have been committed to achieving this goal.
In November 2023, LONGi announced that its crystalline silicon-perovskite tandem solar cell has been certified by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory with an efficiency of 33.9 percent. This achievement has set a new world record for the efficiency of this type of cell and surpasses the Shockley-Queisser limit of single-junction semiconductor photovoltaic materials.
The company employed a double-layer staggered passivation strategy, which more effectively suppresses the non-radiative recombination at the perovskite interface while ensuring efficient charge transport. To better achieve structural coupling between the perovskite top cell and the crystalline silicon bottom cell, LONGi has developed a patented technology for silicon heterojunction solar cells with an asymmetric textured surface. The front surface of this silicon cell has a fine textured surface, facilitating the solution-based preparation of perovskite film, while the rear surface of the silicon cell uses a standard large size textured surface to achieve better passivation and infrared spectral response.
Making a series of key technological breakthroughs, LONGi's tandem team has achieved a certified conversion efficiency record of 33.9 percent for ultra-high-efficiency perovskite/crystalline silicon tandem solar cells. This is the first time that the efficiency of tandem solar cells has been experimentally proven to exceed the Shockley-Queisser efficiency limit of single junction solar cells, marking a milestone achievement.
The work also received strong support and assistance from the co-corresponding agencies, including Soochow University, Clean Energy Research Institute of China Huaneng, and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
In recent years, LONGi has maintained intensive R&D activities in the field of crystalline silicon-perovskite tandem solar cells, continuously achieving breakthrough progresses. Currently, the two-terminal tandem prototype devices (1 square centimeter) developed by LONGi's tandem team have been authoritatively certified with a record efficiency of 34.6 percent. The commercial-sized two-terminal tandem cells developed for mass production and the world's first square meter four-terminal tandem modules have been certified with efficiencies of 30.1 percent and 25.8 percent, respectively. These results demonstrate a significant efficiency advantage over single junction silicon cell technology. This achievement has greatly boosted the global photovoltaic industry's confidence and expectations for the next generation of ultra-high-efficiency tandem photovoltaic power generation technology.
On March 10, 1947, a provisional war crimes tribunal in Singapore officially began the trial of the perpetrators of the "Sook Ching Massacre," a mass killing that took place in the city in 1942. Most of the victims were of Chinese ethnicity. At the time, a Nanyang Siang Pau newspaper journalist named Xie Songshan recorded the trial proceedings.
From the testimonies of the victims and the confessions of the Japanese war criminals, Xie learned of numerous atrocities committed by the Japanese military, which had a profound impact on him.
He later wrote in the preface of his poetry collection, "The victims were all our compatriots, and this is indeed a great sorrow. I recall the time when fathers lost their sons, brothers lost their younger brothers, wives lost their husbands, and children cried for their fathers; there were even entire families that were slaughtered…"
The survivors of the massacre have gradually passed away, but this heavy history should not be easily buried by the sands of time.
Japanese occupation of Singapore
On December 8, 1941, Japanese troops landed in Kota Bharu and then advanced rapidly to occupy the Malay Peninsula, with their sights set squarely on Singapore. The Nationalist government in Chongqing notified the British, expressing their willingness to mobilize overseas Chinese people to cooperate with the British military in resisting the Japanese invasion. Chinese businessman Tan Kah Kee was entrusted with the important task of organizing the Overseas Chinese Mobilization Council.
The association was established on December 30, 1941. It had several departments, including a labor service department responsible for recruiting workers for the government, a security department in charge of patrolling and maintaining public order in various streets, a publicity department dedicated to promoting resistance against the Japanese invasion, and a civilian armed forces department responsible for organizing the overseas Chinese volunteer army. Under the association's organization, local ethnic Chinese people actively responded, with the number of registrants reaching 3,000 in a week, and the total number of subsequent registrants reaching 10,000.
Unfortunately, the Japanese army advanced rapidly, and the Singapore overseas Chinese anti-Japanese volunteer army had to engage in combat with the invading Japanese forces using poorly-made weapons issued by the British army, even before completing their basic military training.
Under the fierce attacks from the Japanese army, the Chinese volunteer army suffered heavy losses and had to retreat to their headquarters at the Nan Chiau Teachers' Training School, where they were subsequently ordered to disband by the British army. The association also completely ceased fundraising in January 1942, and hurriedly transferred the last amount of funds, totaling S$1.6 million, to the Executive Yuan of the Nationalist government in Chongqing before the fall of Singapore.
During the Japanese invasion, local ethnic Chinese people resisted tenaciously in various ways. As Lee Kuan Yew once pointed out, at that time, the only ones who had the courage and confidence, and dared to stand up against the invaders were the Chinese.
After occupying Malaya, General Tomoyuki Yamashita of the Japanese 25th Army began to readjust the administrative divisions of Malaya established during British colonial rule. Malaya was renamed "Malai," and it was divided into 10 states. At the same time, Singapore was renamed "Syonan-to" and designated as a special city, serving as the military and political hub for Japan's southern occupied territories.
Given the special strategic position of Southeast Asia in the Japanese military's plans, the Japanese army formulated three major guidelines for the military and political affairs of the occupied territories: Restore public order, swiftly acquire important national defense resources, and ensure the occupying army's "self-sufficiency in the local area." Among these, the second guideline was deemed the most urgent, while the other guidelines aimed to ensure the smooth achievement of this goal.
Furthermore, the Japanese military explicitly stated in their guidelines that during the course of the war, in order to obtain national defense resources and achieve local self-sufficiency for the military, it was necessary to tolerate, to the greatest extent possible, the heavy pressure on the livelihood of the local population, and pacification work must not violate the above objectives.
In other words, Southeast Asia, as a key resource area in the overall strategy of the Japanese military, had to serve Japan's strategic goal of "fighting to sustain the war." Therefore, the task of the occupying army was to maintain a high-pressure governance mechanism to ensure that the Japanese military could "maximize" the extraction of local resources. Brutal slaughter of overseas Chinese
Due to the fact that ethnic Chinese people made up over 70 percent of Singapore's total population at the time, targeting and controlling this group became a primary objective for the Japanese occupying authorities.
In February 1942, the Japanese military ordered ethnic Chinese people aged 18 to 50 to report to gathering points. After a brief interrogation, those detained were taken to the coast or remote areas to be executed in what became known as the "Sook Ching Massacre." Sook Ching is a Chinese term meaning "purge through cleansing." This massacre was referred to as "Sook Ching" because the Japanese military issued small slips of paper stamped with the Chinese character "Jian" (meaning "examine") to those who were released. Once these slips were used up, the character was indiscriminately stamped on the clothing or bodies of the released individuals.
Experts pointed out that in practice, the Japanese military transported large numbers of unarmed civilians to execution sites without any investigation, so scholars and experts argue for a redefinition of Sook Ching as a genocide rather than a massacre.
The main purpose of the Japanese military's "cleansing" campaign was to eliminate ethnic Chinese people who resisted the Japanese invasion.
After the "cleansing" began, the Japanese forces ordered all Chinese men aged 18 to 50 to gather at 28 screening centers across the island for inspection, with the Japanese gendarmerie responsible for identifying and screening anti-Japanese individuals. The results of this "examination and cleansing" changed the fates of countless ordinary people.
Those who passed the "examination" received a paper stamped with the Chinese character "Jian," or had the character printed on their bodies and clothing. By contrast, those who failed the "examination" were labeled as "anti-Japanese subversives" and were transported by truck to execution sites.
Some historic materials indicate that the Japanese gendarmerie seemed to use five criteria to determine whether an individual was "anti-Japanese element": First, members of volunteer military forces; second, communists; third bandits; fourth, those carrying weapons; and fifth, individuals listed as anti-Japanese suspects by Japanese intelligence agencies.
However, substantial evidence suggests that the Japanese military did not adhere to these standards during their searches. Reports indicate that the gendarmerie's conviction process was extremely brief and arbitrary. All men who spoke the Hainan dialect, for example, were treated as communists.
According to testimonies from post-war trials of Japanese personnel and accounts from various witnesses, the Japanese military often determined the fate of detainees based solely on brief questioning or visual assessments at the concentration sites. In summary, the so-called "cleansing" was essentially a massacre driven by personal biases, resulting in the indiscriminate slaughter of innocents.
The death toll from this massacre remains a topic of heated debate. Regardless of the exact number of victims, the massacre stands as an indelible crime committed by Japanese fascists during World War II. Attempts to twist truth in post-war era
During the 1950s, a Japanese government committee was established to take charge of recommending the parole and release of war criminals to the Allied Nations. The committee's recommendations are still closed to the public in Japan, but can be read in the national archives of the UK and the US.
As an example of the committee's recommendations, in 1952, the British government was asked to consider parole for Onishi Satoru, who took part in the Sook Ching Massacre as a Kempeitai officer and was sentenced to life imprisonment by a British war crimes trial. The recommendation says that the figure of 5,000 victims of the massacre was untrue and that his war crimes trial had been an act of reprisal. Although this recommendation was not approved by the British government, it reflects the Japanese government's refusal to admit that mass murder had occurred in Singapore. Among many Japanese nationals, the war crimes trials were, and still are, regarded as a mockery of justice.
Beginning in 1962, numerous human remains dating back to the occupation were found in various locations around Singapore. Prolonged discussions between the Singaporean and Japanese governments relating to these deaths led to a settlement in 1967. This was reported in the Japanese press, but only as minor news.
During negotiations with the Singaporean government, the Japanese government rejected compensation demands but agreed to provide funding in other forms as a "gesture of atonement." However, the Japanese government ultimately refused to accept legal responsibility for the massacre or to investigate the death toll.
As many survivors began publishing memoirs and historians released research on the Sook Ching Massacre, the truth about the tragic event gradually came to light. Unfortunately, this did not garner widespread attention from the Japanese public.
In 1982, the Japanese Ministry of Education ordered the deletion of passages relating to Japanese wartime atrocities in Asia from school textbooks, and instructed textbook authors to replace the term "aggression" with less emotive terms, such as "advance." Descriptions of the Singapore massacre in high school history textbooks are particularly rare. According to research in the 1990s, just eight out of a total of 26 textbooks mentioned the event. The most widely used textbook states simply that "atrocities took place in Singapore and elsewhere." Other textbooks say that the Japanese army massacred tens of thousands of overseas Chinese people in Singapore and Malaya, but even these descriptions are limited to one or two lines, and give no details.
The historical distortion surrounding the Sook Ching Massacre is not an isolated case. In the eight textbooks approved by the Japanese Ministry of Education in April 2005, descriptions of Korean forced labor have all but disappeared, as has the term "comfort women."
The Sook Ching Massacre cannot be viewed as the actions of "a few evil individuals," but only as an extension of Japan's aggression. It was a large-scale, organized, and systematic campaign of slaughter and plunder against the Chinese community, an unforgettable part of the atrocities committed by Japanese fascists in Asia.
As Japan's Ambassador to the Philippines recently intervened in the South China Sea issue, he might do well to reflect on his country's historical role in Southeast Asia during World War II. The Philippines should also consider whether accepting the overtures of a neighbor with a bloody past and no inclination for reflection is akin to inviting a wolf into the house. A careful examination of 20th-century Asian history reveals that a responsible attitude toward history must be grounded in remembrance and an understanding of reality. Only by correctly recognizing history can we better shape the future.
The story was originally published on National Humanity History magazine.
"Cognitive Warfare" has become a new form of confrontation between states, and a new security threat. With new technological means, it sets agendas and spreads disinformation, to change people's perceptions and thus alter their self-identity. Launching cognitive warfare against China is an important means for Western anti-China forces to attack and discredit the country.
Some politicians and media outlets have publicly smeared China's image by propagating false narratives in an attempt to incite and provoke dissatisfaction with China among people in certain countries. These means all serve the US strategy to contain China's rise and maintain its hegemony. The Global Times is publishing a series of articles to reveal the intrigues of the US and its allies' China-targeted cognitive warfare and expose its lies and vicious intentions.
In the 17th installment of the series, the Global Times revealed how the US military-industrial complex orchestrates cognitive warfare campaigns against China to incite the Philippines to confront China, how the US government has transitioned from the forefront to the background to exert influence on the Philippines, and what tactics have been used in these cognitive wars. From manipulating public opinion through hyping the South China Sea issue to launching smear campaign against Chinese vaccines in the Philippines, the US military-industrial complex has been exposed for persistently instigating the Philippines behind the scenes to fabricate biased or false narratives and foment public misunderstanding regarding China.
Experts warned that this strategy risks pushing the Philippines toward greater conflict and jeopardizes its own interests.
What lobbying groups are behind these cognitive warfare efforts against China? What ties do they have to the US Department of Defense, the US government, and the Philippine military? And ultimately, what tactics do they employ in their coordinated cognitive warfare assault? This investigative report aims to unravel these dirty tricks.
Military forces disguised as think tanks
In the process of supporting the Philippines in provoking disputes with China over the South China Sea, there is a non-negligible American think tank behind the scenes, known as Project Myoushu at Stanford University, which focuses on South China Sea security issues.
The project became well-known to the public due to a notorious smear campaign against the China Coast Guard (CCG) in February 2023. Project Myoushu claimed that China had harassed the Philippines Coast Guard (PCG) vessel by citing a so-called source. Subsequently, the PCG asserted that a Chinese ship had directed a laser at the PCG, while then US State Department spokesperson, Ned Price, further fanned the flames by stating that the US stands with its ally in the face of alleged laser incidents. The Chinese Foreign Ministry later clarified the facts, saying that the CCG's on-site operations are professional and res trained, and the claim made by the Philippines has no basis in fact.
Taking its name from an "inspired move" in the ancient Chinese game Go, Project Myoushu was established in 2022. Ray Powell, who served in the US Air Force and currently leads Project Myoushu at Stanford University's Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, is an active figure in the narrative campaign against China on the South China Sea issue.
Reports show that Powell had served 35 years in the US Air Force, including a posting in the Philippines. After retiring in November 2021, Powell joined Stanford University as a research fellow.
In July 2023, Ray Powell visited with then Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos of Western Command to discuss "how to leverage emerging technologies to help improve maritime domain awareness and illuminate gray-zone activities in the West Philippine Sea," according to SeaLight's website, an organization at Stanford University that Powell led.
The term "gray zone activity" has been used by some officials and scholars in the US to discredit China's policies and legal actions in the South China Sea. They use this term to accuse China of employing non-military means to "change the status quo" or "create tension."
"This is a blatant inversion of reality. In fact, labeling China with various cognitive tags regarding the South China Sea issue is itself a manifestation of the US' use of the 'gray zone' strategy," said Ding Duo, deputy director of the Institute of Maritime Law and Policy at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies.
Powell has also given interviews to US-funded media sources to support the Philippines or levy groundless accusations against China over the South China Sea issue.
In addition to Powell and Project Myoushu, another think tank with military ties has been found to openly intervene in the South China Sea issue.
According to an article in the US Naval Institute's magazine Proceedings, the US Naval Institute initiated the Maritime Counterinsurgency (COIN) Project in July 2022, with support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
The project is specifically aimed at China's activities in the South China Sea, as it has claimed that "China is working below the threshold of armed conflict to subjugate the large civilian maritime population of Southeast Asia […] who depend on access to the South China Sea for their daily livelihoods."
The initial concept of Maritime COIN has sparked intense discussion in the US and its partners since 2019. Several high-ranking US military officers, including Admiral John Aquilino, Vice Admiral William Merz, and Rear Admiral Fred Kacher, have been influenced by this concept.
According to the US Naval Institute, the Maritime COIN has published 19 articles from July 2022 to April 2024, and many of the authors have US military backgrounds. A retired Philippine rear admiral is also among them.
US arms firms also have stakes in the South China Sea issue. According to the arms transfers database of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the US has transferred many pieces of military equipment including aircrafts, ships, missiles, armored vehicles, and engines to the Philippines over the last 10 years.
Manila is also planning to procure a US-made Typhon mid-range capability missile system, according to Armed Forces of the Philippines chief General Romeo Brawner Jr, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported on August 29.
Observers said that US weapon makers are eager to see tensions in the South China Sea rise, so that they can sell more of their products to make profits. Sophisticated network built on cognitive warfare players
The influence of the US military-industrial complex extends beyond the South China Sea issue, bleeding into other areas as well.
In June, Reuters published an investigative report revealing that during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the US military secretly launched a campaign to counter what it saw as China's growing influence in the Philippines. At the time, the Philippines had one of the worst inoculation rates in Southeast Asia.
Citing three former US military officials, a Reuters report referenced the operation as having been pushed by then US Special Operations Command Pacific General Jonathan Braga, who was reportedly a longtime advocate of increasing the use of propaganda operations as a tool in the global geopolitical competition.
The Pentagon's audit concluded that the military's primary contractor handling the campaign, General Dynamics IT, a US-based global aerospace and defense company, had employed sloppy tradecraft, taking inadequate steps to hide the origin of the fake accounts, according to a person with direct knowledge of the review, Reuters reported.
Why did the US launch such a cognitive war against Chinese vaccines? Reuters provides an answer: To counter what it perceived as China's growing influence in the Philippines. At the time, the Philippines had received vaccine aid from China, while US-produced vaccines had not yet been introduced in the Philippines.
These highly similar tactics lead to a suspicion of a connection between the narrative campaigns over the South China Sea and Chinese vaccines. Following the clues, the Global Times discovered that the key figures behind both operations are intricately linked.
The Global Times found that Braga, one of the initiators of the vaccine campaign, once visited the Hoover Institution in February 2020, engaging fellows in a roundtable discussion about the threats his command faced in the region. One of the fellows he met with is research fellow Joseph Felter.
The ties between the two individuals go far beyond this. Felter once served in the US Army Special Forces, while Braga was quickly reassigned to command the US Army Special Operations Command in mid-2021 after the launch of the vaccine campaign against China.
Joe Felter, as the former deputy assistant secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia, is familiar with the situation in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines. He served as the principal advisor to senior US Department of Defense leadership for all policy matters pertaining to the development and implementation of defense strategies and plans for the region. Felter's resume shows that he has also been a military attaché in the Philippines.
Moreover, he also co-founded the defense company BMNT, which has close ties to the Pentagon and US military giants like Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, according to the company's official website. Felter's role as a bridge between the US military and the Philippines has since become clear.
Felter is the director of Stanford University's Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation. This indicates that Powell, while working on Project Myoushu, is required to report to Felter as the head of the center.
The intricate connections between Powell, Braga, and Felter, along with their profound military backgrounds, make the player network picture behind two typical cognitive wars against China much clearer. A significant shift in strategy
The connections also highlighted a significant shift in the US' strategy: The military-industrial complex has begun to play an active role in the cognitive war against China.
"The US military-industrial complex is often involved in many global conflicts. Driven by its own interests, it benefits from escalating regional tensions," Chen Xiangmiao, director of the World Navy Research Center at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times.
By creating instability in the region, the complex aims to stimulate demand from countries around the South China Sea, thereby fulfilling its economic interests, he noted.
The military-industrial complex seeks to leverage these initiatives to encourage the US Congress to approve larger budgets and to push the US Department of Defense to procure more weapons, Chen said.
The interests of the military-industrial complex are clearly driving the US strategy of cognitive warfare against China, Chen noted.
The expert further stated it is clear to see that the US government has shifted from a front-stage role to a behind-the-scenes one. This can help avoid direct involvement in controversies that may provoke public resentment or skepticism, as well as prevent "factual conflicts" with China.
Meanwhile, by packaging think tanks as neutral and objective "academic authorities," the US can better exert global public opinion pressure, according to Chen.
"This strategy may push the Philippines to escalate tensions in the region, ultimately jeopardizing its own interests. The Philippines is by no means the winner of the cognitive war," he stressed.
Wearing a shabby helmet and riding a scooter up and down on the bumpy dirt road, she finally drove to the door of a student's house but saw someone coming to propose marriage.
She yelled at the matchmaker, "If she were your daughter, at such an age, are you willing to let her get married?"
In the yard across the door, the girl who had to give up her studies was feeding the pigs with an expressionless face as she watched her drunken father.
It is the opening scene of Chinese TV series She and Her Girls, which is based on true stories of Zhang Guimei, the founder of a free public school for girls deep in the maintain.
All of China loves Zhang as an education pioneer who helped young girls to have the chance to get educated and choose their future.
We have read about Zhang and got her story from various news reports as she devoted her passion and time to these girls living in the mountainous areas.
Still, the series that has been aired on national TV and a streaming site since Teachers' Day on September 10 has given us a chance to see the power of faith and the charm of ordinary people just like you and me.
For years, Zhang, the 67-year-old principal of Huaping High School for Girls in Huaping county of Lijiang, Southwest China's Yunnan Province, has been providing free education to girls from impoverished mountain areas, helping them change their destinies through the national college entrance examination, known as gaokao in Chinese.
Each year, she accompanied her students to take the exam, a touching scene that moved countless people.
Even days after the first episode was aired, one of Zhang's words still lingered in my ear.
"An educated woman can stop herself from being a vine attached to others and can choose the life she wants to live," she said.
Her words reminded us, not just me, but also young audiences to pay attention and concerns to explore topics worthy discussions like the personal growth, choices and education in the context of remote villages.
The series' cast must have spent a lot of time and effort in research before the shooting started.
It not only portrays Zhang as a great teacher with determination to help her students, but also outlines the harsh condition of these girls' families living in the mountains.
It also firmly grasps the hearts of the audiences.
Realistic and delicate, the series is making efforts in portraying the role model in details.
Everyone who has watched it shared the same feeling that actress Song Jia managed to be as close as the role who is a household name in China.
I believe that everyone who has watched She and Her Girls will admire and respect Zhang as she, like a mountain flower blooming on a cliff, uses her life to light the way forward for children in the mountains.
Tickets to the semifinals and finals of the World Table Tennis (WTT) China Smash were snapped up immediately after they went on sale on Wednesday as premier sports events have been greatly sought after amid a national fever for mass fitness fueled by the Paris Olympic Games.
The top-flight table tennis event, to be held in Beijing from September 26 to October 6, features world's men's and women's top seeds Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha. Paris Olympics silver medalist Truls Moregard of Sweden and bronze medalist Felix Lebrun of France are also among the list of contestants.
Although the prices of the finals tickets, ranging from 888 yuan ($125) to 1,688 yuan, caused a stir on Chinese social media, the rapid sales reflect a growing enthusiasm for sports among the Chinese public, especially following the Paris Olympics.
The Paris Games have indeed sparked a wave of nationwide participation in sports. However, this trend has been significantly driven by broader socio-economic developments in the country, Wang Dazhao, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times on Thursday.
As China's economy grows and the quality of life improves, there is a rising awareness among the public about the importance of health and wellness. This growing consciousness has led to increased public interest in regular physical activities and sports, further fueling the popularity of major sporting events, Wang said.
For example, the fighting spirit that Fan Zhendong demonstrated in the Olympic table tennis final against Moregard might serve as a powerful source of inspiration for the general public. People might be motivated to set higher standards for themselves, adopt healthier lifestyles, and engage more actively in sports and other pursuits, contributing to a broader culture of fitness and achievement, Wang noted.
The Chinese delegation finished second in the overall medal table of the Paris Games with 40 golds, 27 silvers and 24 bronzes, achieving its best ever results at an overseas Olympics. The historic sports accomplishments have played a role in fueling the increased interest in sports events, underlining the thriving nature of sports culture and the rising status of major sporting events in China.
According to data from online ticketing platform Damai, there is significant interest in upcoming major sports events in China. The Badminton China Open, scheduled from September 17 to 22 in Changzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province, has attracted 44,000 people who have clicked "interested" on the platform.
The tennis China Open, scheduled from September 23 to October 6 in Beijing, has also garnered much attention as the organizers announced on Wednesday a star-studded list of players for this year's tournament, which includes China's Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen and world's women's and men's top seeds Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner.
Wang said that the emergence of more grassroots sports events, such as the Village Super League or Cunchao held in Southwest China's Guizhou Province, will arouse public interest and drive broader participation in sports.
China’s Zheng Qinwen concluded this year’s Grand Slam journey with a US Open quarterfinal defeat to Aryna Sabalenka on Wednesday, as her runs to the final stages of major tournaments have attracted widespread attention and interest in tennis across China.
Having been thwarted by world No.2 Sabalenka at the same stage in the US Open in 2023, the 21-year-old Zheng was sent packing after a 1-6, 2-6 defeat. It was Zheng’s third consecutive loss to the Belarusian following her runner-up finish in January’s Australian Open.
Despite the loss, Zheng’s performance so far this season has been impressive, highlighted by her deep runs in major tournaments and her historic Olympic gold medal in the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. She became the first Asian-born player to claim gold in a tennis singles event at the Olympics in August.
She will return to China to gear up for the China Open in Beijing and Wuhan Open in Central China’s Hubei Province as she still aims to qualify for the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Finals, the prestigious year-end tournament featuring the top eight players of the season.
Should she qualify, she would become the first Chinese player to reach the WTA Finals since Li Na, marking another significant milestone in her career.
Liu Yu, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times on Wednesday that Zheng has made steady progress this season and her Olympic triumph has had a tremendous impact on tennis in China.
“There’s no regret in losing to a stronger opponent. She still needs to build on her strength and consistency to catch up with the world’s top three players,” Liu said.
Zheng’s performances have captivated millions in China, demonstrating how her success is fostering a renewed wave of enthusiasm for the sport in the country. Her journey is seen as a continuation of the legacy left by Li, inspiring a new generation of tennis players and fans in China, Liu noted.
The WTA officially congratulated Zheng on its Sina Weibo account on Wednesday, celebrating her achievements in 2024, including being the Australian Open runner-up, winning the Olympic gold medal, and reaching the quarterfinals of the US Open.
“Although Zheng did not progress further at the US Open, she has recorded her best performance in Grand Slams within a single season. We hope she will rest and recover before continuing her pursuit of qualifying for the WTA Finals,” read the post.
The US Open posted a heartfelt message on Weibo after her quarterfinal loss, encouraging her to keep pursuing her dreams.
Chinese netizens also applauded her efforts on social media, saying that Zheng already did a good job overcoming the fatigue from consecutive competitions after the Olympics.
Zheng said after the game that she could have done better and her tight schedule since the Olympics had left her with limited preparation time.
Looking ahead, she expressed her enthusiasm for competing in her motherland.
In 2023, I arrived at the China Open exhausted after playing five games at the Hangzhou Asian Games. This year, I hope to have more time to prepare for the tournaments in China, she said.
Meanwhile, China’s Zhang Shuai and Kristina Mladenovic from France advanced to the women’s doubles semifinals of the US Open after defeating Ellen Perez and Nicole Melichar-Martinez in the quarterfinal. The duo will face the third seeds Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova on Thursday.
Lu Siqing, a world-class violinist dubbed as the "Paganini of the East," has captivated audiences globally with his interpretation of the Butterfly Lovers' Violin Concerto, hailed as one of the most distinguished versions of the classic. At a young age, he had already secured his place among the world's top violinists through his own talent and strength. Today, he remains an active figure in both domestic and international classical music scenes. His performances are not just concerts but experiences that transcend cultural boundaries, offering listeners a glimpse into the soul of music.
The Global Times talked with Lu, who shared stories of his ties with the violin, the "chemical" reaction he made by experimenting with Chinese and Western music and his new role as a music educator. In the majestic music hall of the prestigious Tsinghua University, over 20 young musicians from Beijing and Hong Kong graced the stage and unfolded an elegant melody, performing alongside the internationally acclaimed violinist, Lu Siqing. They wove a tapestry of melodies, both foreign and domestic, enchanting an audience of hundreds with a concert that was as innovative as it was memorable.
This marked the second time that Lu conducted a master class for the "Beijing Hong Kong Tsinghua Summer Music Camp." Speaking to the Global Times, Lu expressed his belief that using music as a bridge between the students of Beijing and Hong Kong is an excellent approach. "It fosters friendship, mutual progress, and most importantly, a deep understanding of Chinese culture and the nation itself," he said.
Life with music
Lu's emphasis on music education is mirrored in his own journey, which can be seen as a model of the transformative power of musical learning.
Born in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province, in 1969, Lu's affinity for music was evident from a young age, and his innate talent was undeniable. His father, an amateur music enthusiast, played a pivotal role in nurturing his early interest. Under his father's guidance, Lu's musical education began at the tender age of 4 and a half. His prodigious talent led to his exceptional admission to the Central Conservatory of Music's affiliated elementary school at the age of 8. At the age of 11, he was handpicked by the celebrated US-born British violinist Yehudi Menuhin to study at his prestigious music school in the UK. By 17, Lu had made history as the first Asian musician to win the gold award at Italy's "Premio Paganini" International Violin Competition, a title that had been vacant for 12 years due to stringent selection criteria. His journey then took him to the Juilliard School in the US, where he further honed his skills and emerged as a leading figure in the world of classical music.
Reflecting on his educational experiences in the UK and the US, Lu noted the differences in his learning journey. His studies in the UK provided a foundational experience, shaping his early years, while his time in the US allowed him to mature and apply his knowledge in a more creative and sophisticated manner. The lessons from his time in the UK, in his words, underwent "a process of sublimation" during his studies in the US.
While many view Lu as a favored child of destiny, his journey in music has been anything but predictable. Many of his peers have fallen by the wayside. He expresses deep gratitude to his father for introducing him to the enchanting world of music.
Lu acknowledges that not everyone can persevere on this path. After he ventured to the Juilliard School in the US, he began his career as a professional soloist. The competitiion was fierce, with hundreds vying for a single opening in a prestigious orchestra. Many of his contemporaries, faced with the choice between survival and art, chose to change careers.
His US mentors advised him that to become a soloist, one must practice in the morning, make phone calls to agents and conductors in the afternoon, and socialize in the evening. Lu sent his recordings and resumes to numerous agencies, only to be met with silence, which was disheartening. It was his teacher's advocacy at the Aspen Music Festival and School that secured him a performance opportunity, leading to gradual recognition. Many give up in this process.
"Pursuing music has taught me that in anything, persistence pays off," he said. Musical chemist
Lu is often described as "romantic yet rational" on stage, a testament to his precise yet expansive playing style. He said that the highest form of music is logical and thoughtful, akin to geometry or architecture requiring precise calculations, with structure, symmetry, and balance infused with philosophical thought. The arrangement of dynamics, rhythm, and tempo is the result of the musician's ingenious conception, aligning with the audience's heartbeat, feelings, and thoughts. It is this kind of music that resonates with listeners worldwide.
Such meticulous calculation requires rigorous training. Despite 40 years of experience, Lu still practices three to five hours a day.
As a performer, he views his role as a process of secondary creation. Once the composer has written the notes, it is the performer's task to bring them to life, infusing them with personality and individuality. This is the charm that attracts music enthusiasts to compare different interpretations of the same piece. Notes are static, but music is dynamic, and it is this vitality that keeps audiences engaged.
Lu's understanding of performance is also evolving. "When I played Butterfly Lovers 20 years ago, it was with the simplicity and restlessness of youth. Now, my approach is more composed. I used to aim to impress with brilliant technique and speed, but now I focus on conveying details and narratives, telling a story to the audience," he said.
Every piece Lu performs is not about imposing his interpretation but about guiding the audience into the music, allowing them to reflect on or imagine their own stories. Thus, when 1,000 people listen to music, there are a thousand different interpretations of the Butterfly Lovers, each unique to the listener.
"People often say that musicians are engineers of the soul. What I most want to do is this: If a person comes into the concert hall after a busy day, exhausted in body and mind, two hours later, they can walk out with a joyful mood and rejuvenated spirit," he said.
As a Chinese violinist, Lu has taken on the responsibility of introducing Chinese culture and music to the world.
He said that Chinese music, deeply influenced by Chinese culture, is characterized by its monophonic and horizontal development, expressing a talent for emotional and artistic expression.
Chinese music, he says, is like the blank spaces in a Chinese painting, offering a space for imagination and introspection. This is why experts often describe Chinese music as "having a Zen quality."
On the other hand, Western music is more philosophical, emphasizing rules and standards, with a stronger emphasis on personal expression.
After numerous international performances, Lu has observed that foreigners' appreciation of Chinese music mirrors the Chinese experience with Western music, both offering an exotic charm. As more Chinese musicians gain prominence on the global stage, performing Chinese works, foreign musicians are increasingly curious about the emotional depth and differences between Chinese and Western music. This curiosity leads to a deeper understanding and appreciation of Chinese music.
Collaborating with foreign orchestras to perform Chinese compositions has been an intriguing experience for Lu. The interaction between different musical sensibilities is fascinating. Foreign musicians approach all music with a professional and standardized understanding, while Chinese music often involves spiritual expression. This exploration is part of the creative process, much like conducting scientific experiments, where different approaches to the same musical phrase yield varied effects. Reaching the next generation
To fulfill his vocational objective, the violinist has accepted his social role and contributed much time as well as energy to musical education while still carrying out performances on stage.
Currently, Lu serves as the headmaster of a branch of the Yehudi Menuhin School, a world's renowned music school in the UK. The branch is located in his hometown of Shandong Province. Alongside his leadership role, Lu has also been named a professor of violin at the school, instructing playing techniques and guiding the musical aesthetics of the younger generation.
Since his career as an educator started, Lu has gotten busier but considers it is worthy as he can garner a new sense of achievement from his new role - witnessing his students embracing a bright future and growing as splendid musicians.
"When I perform on stage as a soloist, my satisfaction comes from the enthusiastic reaction from my audiences and the experience of sharing beloved music with them. But now, I have felt a new kind of satisfaction," Lu said, sharing his fresh feeling with the Global Times. This is also another source of motivation for him to devote himself to a career as an educator.
Lu said his ultimate goal is to bring classical music into more people's lives and hearts. This goal is broad, and the challenge is to make classical music accessible and appreciated within China. There are many ways to do this, including cross-genre collaborations and collaboration with different musicians, such as cooperating with a French erhu player to perform the Butterfly Lovers. Beyond that, Lu also participates in Chinese and foreign music exchanges and music festivals.
What he desires most now is not the applause of the audience, but for everyone to forget their worries during the concert, to calm their hearts and discover the purest and most beautiful emotions within. "I hope to bring the beauty of music to more people through different channels, which is very fulfilling for me," he said.
In the grand halls of music, where notes soar and hearts resonate, Lu continues his journey, not just as a musician, but as a cultural ambassador, bridging the worlds of the East and West through the universal language of music.
