The non-profit organization “Action for Democracy” in the United States released its latest research report on Wednesday, warning that the Chinese Communist Party and Russia are becoming the driving forces behind the global expansion of authoritarianism.
Researchers utilized artificial intelligence (AI) technology to track the increasing interactions among authoritarian regimes worldwide and found that China and Russia were involved in close to half of the collaborative activities, indicating a conscious effort to export oppressive measures and establish a systematic mode of operation for dictatorship.
This report analyzed over 100 languages and approximately 400 million sources, documenting 72,000 instances of cross-border cooperation, establishing an index to track seven major areas of collaboration including finance, diplomacy, propaganda, and technology sharing, quantifying the little-known but far-reaching connections among authoritarian states.
The trend of alliances among dictatorial regimes has become increasingly prominent since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Meanwhile, Chinese leader Xi Jinping continues to escalate military pressure on Taiwan with the ultimate goal of controlling and owning the island.
The report highlighted the significant compounded effects of cooperation among authoritarian countries. The authors of the report stressed that “exporting surveillance infrastructure to one regime will become a template for the next regime.”
This model enables the transfer of expertise and technology of authoritarian rule across borders, leading to a worsening global human rights environment.
“Action for Democracy” issued a stern warning in the report, stating that “if not closely monitored, these dynamics could lead to the widespread diffusion of oppressive measures across borders, while the response of democratic countries remains fragmented and passive.”
“Action for Democracy” cautioned that authoritarian governments are consciously expanding and deepening their cooperation through forums and shared media networks.
These activities allow the relevant countries to “unify narratives, build relationships, and provide venues for the exchange of operating practices and personnel repeatedly.”