Latest news with #globalinfluence
Telegraph
7 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Britain losing influence as Russian and Chinese media outspend BBC
Britain is losing influence to Russia and China as the hostile states' spending on media eclipses the BBC. Foreign Office officials have privately warned that the UK is at 'high risk' of losing global influence 'without harder-edged approaches'. They said: 'The UK still retains top rankings for strong influence within G20 countries, based on trustworthiness and independence of institutions – critical prerequisites for achieving hard goals of investment and security cooperation – but is losing influence in the Global South and emerging powers to Russia and China.' The comments, which were made in a presentation to the Government's soft power council (a body designed to help boost UK growth and security) earlier this year, were obtained through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by soft power research agency CreativePower. The soft power council was launched in January with the aim of boosting Britain's global influence. It is chaired by Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, while members also include former ITV chairman Sir Peter Bazalgette, V&A boss Tristram Hunt and PR executive and former Remain campaigner Roland Rudd. While the officials did not explicitly mention the BBC, a separate report by CreativePower found that cuts to the BBC's World Service were opening the door to Russian and Chinese propaganda. Russia and China are believed to be spending as much as £8bn a year on growing media audiences, primarily in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. The BBC has significant reach in those regions, but the amounts being spent by hostile states dwarf the budget of the World Service, which stood at £366m last year. The report said the heavy media spending 'demonstrates the value foreign states place on controlling global narratives', adding that they were ready to move in as soon as the BBC cedes ground. The research warned the World Service was facing a 'perfect storm of competition, demand and decline'. It added that the service was 'at a crossroads' and faced a choice 'to either pursue sustained growth or accept managed decline'. In January, the BBC said it would cut 130 jobs from the World Service as part of a plan to strip out £6m of costs. While the Government this year increased its funding of the World Service from £104m to £137m, this was still £20m below the BBC's demands. Mr Lammy is now looking to slash the budget further as part of the spending review and has reportedly asked BBC bosses to find savings of up to £70m. The CreativePower report argued that the World Service should not be funded by the licence fee but should instead receive 'long-term, stable funding' primarily from the Government. It added that ministers and the BBC should draw up a strategy for growth for the World Service, including pursuing audiences on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok and developing a more coherent strategy for international TV news. The BBC combined its UK and international news channels in a cost-cutting measure in 2023. However, the move has proved controversial, and Lord Sedwill, the former cabinet secretary and national security adviser, said the BBC was 'making a mistake with its TV news channel'. It came as Dame Caroline Dinenage, chair of the culture select committee, wrote to the Government asking for reassurances over the future funding of the World Service and urging ministers not to overlook the role it plays in national security. She said: 'Through its foreign language services, it is on the frontline of the global fight against mis- and disinformation, but unless it is properly funded, we risk handing the microphone away and giving free reign to media backed by hostile states to become the dominant voice around the world. 'Ministers have told us that the World Service bolsters UK security. Cutting its funding now would undoubtedly make us all less safe.'
Malay Mail
23-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
More Malaysians see China as a force for good than the US, Ipsos poll shows
KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — More people across the world, including in Malaysia, now see China as a more positive influence on global affairs than the United States. According to Ipsos' latest global survey, 49 per cent of respondents viewed China favourably, overtaking the US which saw its global approval dip to 46 per cent. This marks the first time since 2018 that China's perceived global influence has surpassed that of the United States. The findings also revealed a sharp decline in confidence towards the US from its own allies, including Japan, South Korea, and Canada. In Malaysia, positive views of the US dipped slightly to 49 per cent, still higher than some neighbouring countries such as Singapore and South Korea. China, by contrast, continues to receive stronger approval in the region, including from Malaysians, who rated it more positively than the US. An Ipsos chart shows the percentage of respondents saying which country will have an 'overall positive influence on world affairs. Ipsos attributed the US reputation slump to concerns over potential tariffs and an intensifying trade war, which have unsettled many economies. Malaysians, however, remain relatively upbeat about the national economy, even as global consumer confidence shows signs of weakening. The survey noted that Malaysia's Consumer Confidence Index has held steady since late 2024, diverging from the global downtrend. Researchers described Malaysia's current mood as 'cautiously optimistic,' though they warned that uncertainty may rise in the months ahead. Ipsos suggested that this optimism may represent a 'calm before the storm' as geopolitical tensions continue to evolve. The global survey gathered responses from over 22,000 online adults across 29 countries between March and April 2025. On April 2, US President Donald Trump announced the 'Liberation Day' tariffs, a sweeping set of reciprocal tariffs aimed at correcting what his administration described as decades of unfair trade practices disadvantaging American manufacturers and workers
