The communist regime in China uses health care and mobile apps as weapons against political dissent, according to an expert on China and the Indo-Pacific.
“It is understanding how invasive and destructive and coercive the mentality of the Chinese Communist Party is—in terms of an individual’s right to think anything they want or believe anything they want, is imperative for understanding what we’re dealing with,” she said.
“In a Chinese-run world or Chinese-influenced world, health care is used as a weapon to punish political dissidents.”
About six months ago, Suidani was diagnosed with a brain disease that required CT scans, but the Solomon Islands doesn’t have the proper medical equipment to perform the scans. As a result, the premier began seeking foreign medical care, but was financially strapped to pay for it.
In a statement issued on May 30, the Chinese embassy in the Solomon Islands said it had “registered concerns” with the Sogavare government over Suidani’s trip, and noted that it “opposes any official contacts” between Taiwan and other countries.
“This is a situation where [Suidani’s] personal position on China meant he was going to be declined health care. This is essentially an extraterritorial social credit system type control over the health care of an individual person,” Paskal said.
“If you don’t accept China in your heart, you’re going to be left to die. That’s fundamentally what was happening with Premier Suidani.”
Apps
Beijing could also weaponize Chinese mobile apps in order to sow divisions within other countries, according to Paskal. She applauded the Indian government for banning Chinese apps, particularly popular video-sharing app TikTok and messaging app WeChat.Beijing could use the data collected by different Chinese apps for coercion and blackmail, Paskal said.
Additionally, Paskal explained that since the Chinese apps also curated information, Beijing could try to “manipulate the people who have the app into believing certain things or heading in certain directions politically.”
“If you can create social division or exacerbate social division in another country, and paralyze it socially, damage it socially, China wins. It doesn’t mean countries don’t have social problems. It just means that there is a vested interest from Beijing; making those situations worse. And you can do that through apps like TikTok,” she said.
Paskal warned that, ultimately, the CCP wants to influence the mind of every individual.
“So, be very aware. You are targeted. The goal now of the Chinese Communist Party is political warfare—which is the front line of its attempt to achieve that number one position in terms of comprehensive national power is your mind,” she said.