FACT CHECK: Yes, China Interferes In The Internal Affairs of Other Countries

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lian Jian claimed in a Dec. 20 press conference that China does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.

Verdict: False

China does interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.

Fact Check:

A China-linked shipowner denied accusations from Taiwan that it damaged an undersea cable, according to Reuters. Taiwan, an independent island nation also known as the Republic of China, has been claimed by China as its own territory, the outlet reported.

Jian denied in a Dec. 20 press conference that China interferes in the internal affairs of other countries. Jian said,” I’m not familiar with the specifics of the case that you mentioned. Let me stress that China never meddles in other countries’ internal affairs. It is quite clear to the global community who exactly does that kind of thing.”

This claim is false. China has interfered in the internal affairs of other countries, such as the elections of Canada and the United States. For example, Microsoft claimed that an army of Chinese-controlled social media bots attempted to influence voters in Alabama, Texas and Tennessee, according to Reuters.

The Department of Justice also charged Yaoning “Mike” Sun with operating as an illegal agent for the People’s Republic of China, per a Dec. 19 press release. The DOJ has also charged individuals with operating secret police stations in the United States. For example, one man, Chen Jinping, 60, pled guilty to operating as an illegal agent for China.

“As alleged, Chen Jinping and co-defendant ‘Harry’ Lu Jianwang conspired to act as illegal agents of the PRC government and also obstructed justice by destroying evidence of their communications with an MPS official,” reads part of the press release.

Chinese Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu told Check Your Fact that “[t]he so-called secret police stations do not exist” after Check Your Fact pointed to the DOJ’s recent press release.

“I am not familiar with the specifics about the case you mentioned. China is a country that upholds the rule of law, strictly abides by international law, and respects the judicial sovereignty of all countries. The so-called secret police stations do not exist,” Pengyu said. (RELATED: Nikki Haley Claims China Has The Largest Navy In The World)

Check Your Fact previously reported in July 2023 that “China also ran police stations in other countries such as Canada, Italy and Japan, according to Politico. The outlet reported that the police stations “shows the extent to which Beijing has managed to conduct influence campaigns inside Western countries and violate others’ sovereignty while mostly evading law enforcement.”

Experts previously told Check Your Fact that the claim China does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries was not true. For example, Miles Yu, a senior fellow and the Director of the China Center at the Hudson Institute, said in July 2023 that “China interferes with other countries’ internal affairs non-stop, de facto and de jure.”

“The PRC Consulates themselves are instruments of interference, by impeding American academic freedom through coercive and furtive control of Chinese students groups on American campuses through their Educational Division; the PRC govt establishes secret police stations in foreign countries to intimidate and harass Chinese immigrant diaspora in direct violation of other countries’ sovereignty,” Yu previously said. He said the “list” of examples of China’s interference “could be a mile long, given the time to compile.”

Timothy Heath, a senior international researcher at the non-partisan RAND Corporation, told Check Your Fact in January 2025 that “China does often involve itself in the affairs of other countries.”

“While it is true that China does not unilaterally intervene with military forces in other countries, China does often involve itself in the affairs of other countries. China has deployed military forces in countries around the world under UN authority, such as South Sudan and Cambodia. China routinely takes a political position on conflicts and disputes that occur around the world, as it did when Beijing expressed support for Palestinians and condemned Israel in the recent war,” Heath said.

He further added, “China has also tried to mediate conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia and has not hesitated to use diplomatic muscle and pressure to force countries to change policies it objects to. For example, China has used threats and pressure to force countries to scale back relations with Taiwan or interactions with the Dalai Lama.”

“China also tries to influence domestic policies in many countries in a way that favors China through so-called influence operations. The reality is that the principle of non-interference was a luxury China could afford when it was poor and had little ability to influence international affairs anyways. But as the world’s second largest economy and a country thoroughly integrated into international affairs, China has little choice but to be involved in the affairs of countries around the world. Thus, its claims of ‘non-interference’ increasingly ring hollow,” Heath stated.

China has also interfered in Taiwan’s elections. The 2024 U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission report to Congress states that “Chinese officials sought to dissuade Taiwan voters from elect-ing Lai by denouncing him with harsh official rhetoric and likely directing robust influence and disinformation campaigns.”