AI-Powered Cultural Influence: A New Frontier in Cyber Strategy
China's new cultural index leverages AI to track global influence, raising critical cybersecurity questions about data, digital integrity, and state-backed narrative shaping.
AI-Powered Cultural Influence: A New Frontier in Cyber Strategy
JIAXING, China β November 12, 2025 β The recent release of the 2025 Annual Report on the Chinese Cultural Symbols International Communication Index (CSIC) by the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies (ACCWS) at the World Internet Conference in Wuzhen might seem, at first glance, a matter purely for cultural analysts. However, for those navigating the complex and often opaque landscape of modern cyber threats, this report, and particularly its sophisticated methodology, signals a significant evolution in state-backed influence operations, demanding a recalibration of cybersecurity strategies.
The Strategic Nexus of Culture and Cyber Power
Beyond the headlines of cultural exchange, the CSIC report serves as a critical lens through which to view China's strategic projection of soft power. The ACCWS, a state-level think tank, is an affiliated research institute of the China International Communications Group (CICG). CICG itself is directly owned and operated by the Central Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), explicitly tasked with
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