A United States research institute has identified a Chinese disinformation campaign targeting recent Japanese elections and figures in the United States, including former President Donald Trump. The campaign, detected in the days surrounding Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s February election victory, involved dozens of social media accounts spreading allegations of corruption and portraying Takaichi as a reckless and illegitimate leader.
According to a new analysis by Maria Riofrio, a researcher with the Foundation for Defense of Democracy’s (FDD) Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation, 35 X accounts and nine channels on Tumblr were utilized to disseminate the disinformation. These accounts accused Takaichi of being “cult-backed” and driving Japan towards war, while also characterizing her views as deeply conservative and hawkish towards China.
The identified network comprises at least 327 X and other social media accounts that have been active since December, or earlier, consistently attacking those critical of Beijing and promoting pro-China policy positions. The campaign also targeted human rights organizations and sought to influence domestic politics in the Philippines and Latin America, in addition to Japan and the United States.
A spokesperson for Prime Minister Takaichi acknowledged awareness of the suspicious foreign social media activity related to the Japanese elections. “We consider this to be a national security threat that undermines the very foundations of democracy, including the fairness of elections and freedom of the press,” the spokesperson stated. “We believe that countermeasures must be urgently prioritized.”
The allegations of corruption leveled against Takaichi come amid existing scrutiny of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). In 2024, the LDP’s Seiwa Seisaku Kenkyūkai and Shisuikai factions were dissolved following a political slush fund scandal, contributing to waning public confidence in the party. Takaichi’s recent assumption of the premiership, followed by a snap election call after only three months in office, has occurred as the LDP continues to grapple with the fallout from these scandals and its historical ties to the Unification Church.
The Chinese embassy has dismissed the U.S. Institute’s findings as “groundless.”
