Recently resurfaced filings under the U.S. Department of Justice’s “Foreign Agents Registration Act” (FARA) have renewed scrutiny of China’s long-running influence operations targeting U.S. media organizations. The filings show that the Hong Kong-based China-United States Exchange Foundation (CUSEF), through U.S. public relations firm BLJ Worldwide (BLJ), sponsored trips to China and engagement programs involving journalists from dozens of major Western media outlets over more than a decade. The disclosures have gained renewed attention following investigative reporting by journalist Natalie Winters, who argues the records illustrate the scope and sophistication of Beijing’s overseas influence efforts.
According to the FARA filings, BLJ organized sponsored visits to China for 128 journalists from 48 media organizations beginning in 2009. Participants reportedly included journalists from CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Reuters, Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, the BBC, the Associated Press, and other leading news organizations. The filings describe the programs as providing prominent journalists with opportunities to gain a more positive understanding of China’s development and achievements through official meetings, site visits, and exchanges.
CUSEF, founded in 2008 by former Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa, has long been identified by U.S. officials and congressional reports as part of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) broader united front influence network. Beyond media engagement, the organization has funded exchanges with universities, think tanks, and political organizations, including programs for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Critics contend that these activities are designed to cultivate long-term relationships with political, academic, and media elites capable of shaping public opinion and policy debates in ways favorable to Beijing.
The resurfaced FARA records have renewed attention to the CCP’s broader influence operations and the role of sponsored exchanges as a tool of public diplomacy. Critics argue that such programs form part of a wider strategy to shape Western media narratives and public discourse by cultivating relationships with influential journalists and opinion leaders over the long term.
Source: Aboluo, July 20, 2026
https://www.aboluowang.com/2026/0720/2410405.html