For many Westerners, discussions of Chinese influence operations focus on espionage, hacking, copyrights, or comparisons to Russian disinformation campaigns. Chinese Confucius Institutes are compared to Russia Today and other social media influence operations. Caustic commenters such as Chen Weihua are compared with Maria Zakharova or even Russian ex-president-turned online troll Dimitri Medvedev. But from culture to policy, Chinese influence operations are fundamentally misunderstood. 

The institution that best showcases the unique perils of Chinese espionage is its United Front Work Department (UFWD). The UFWD has become an increasingly important component of China's foreign policy under Xi Jinping. Since taking power, Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized the importance of united front work, describing it as a ”magic weapon” for achieving China's national objectives. Understanding the UFWD is essential because it often does not function like other intelligence services. 

The UFWD’s product is alliances; it builds coalitions with groups that are not formally part of the Chinese Communist Party. Business elites, intellectuals, ethnic minorities, overseas Chinese, and many others are targets for engagement. The UFWD is a core component of CCP political strategy, emphasizing cooperation, persuasion, and co-optation rather than outright coercion. This does not necessarily require illicit methods. 

Broader geopolitical positioning explains the UFWD’s modus operandi. China, while confronting problems, is more than capable of rising within existing international frameworks. Russia, by every soft........

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