Metaverse for Cognitive Warfare and Effect of Ukraine War on China's Tech Sector
Issue 21, 7 March 2022
I. Military and Warfare
The Metaverse: The New Heights of Future Cognitive Warfare
The article by Chen Dongheng, Zhai Chan, and Feng Yaru from Institute of Military-Political Work, Academy of Military Sciences (AMS) (军事科学院军队政治工作研究院) write about the metaverse(元宇宙) as part of cognitive warfare (认知战) in future. The following paragraphs are paraphrased from the article.
The authors highlight three characteristics of future metaverse:
Parallel to real world
Interaction with real world
Integrating advanced technologies
Authors advocate the use of metaverse to discover operations of complex systems in reality and to detect means to transform nature and society. The operation of the metaverse conforms to the natural laws of human understanding and transformation of the world. It directly acts on people's thinking and cognition without being bound by the essential attributes of thinking and cognition. Authors describe metaverse as a new way of thinking to discover the operating behavior, state, and laws of complex systems in reality, and a new method to detect objective laws and transform nature and society.
But most importantly, the authors highlight the role of a metaverse in building cognitive warfare theory and practice.
Mechanism and Role of Metaverse in Cognitive Warfare
System enhancement mechanism (体系增强机理): The difference between metaverse and other digital reality building technologies is that metaverse is a complex universe built by humans using a set of interconnected and highly advanced technologies. Authors see this universe as a highly developed cognitive world. In this special cognitive world, technology not only exists in a supporting role but also directly participates in shaping cognition. Hence, the effect of metaverse on cognition is not one-dimensional but full-dimensional. As metaverse develops, its effect on users will be comprehensive and lasting.
Interconstruction technology and knowledge (技知互构机理): Metaverse also functions on mutual construction of technology and knowledge. It is different from the one-way effect of artificial intelligence and other technologies on human cognition. In metaverse, one can simulate, demonstrate, simulate, and verify the process and results of this two-way mutual construction and promotion. In this way, cognition can be understood more accurately and efficiently, and the way of cognitive warfare can be improved. The metaverse provides a parallel cognitive space that digitally twins real combat scenarios, where cognitive warfare can be advanced efficiently, enhanced at a fast pace, and presented in a panoramic manner.
Dynamic reflex mechanism (能动反射机理): As a virtual existence parallel to the real world, the metaverse is not simply a digital copy of the three-dimensional space, but has its own operating rules and can be used in the real world. This active function is the focus of the cognitive application of the metaverse. The metaverse space reflects the characteristics of cognitive warfare. The war results deduced in the metaverse through virtual simulation may directly affect the real world, and extend to the competitive game of conscious cognition through sensory touch, thereby winning the dominance of cognitive warfare. From the perspective of cognition, the metaverse is both a new space for cognition and the main battlefield of cognition, an extension of cognition and a new component of cognition.
Basic Features of Metaverse Useful in Cognitive Warfare
Structuring across domains (跨领域构塑): Development and evolution of cognition are rarely determined by a single factor, but it is often the result of a combination of factors. The metaverse originates from the real world and appears in the virtual space, and has the characteristics of multi-domain connectivity that runs through the real and the virtual. Such an effect can best influence and shape people's thinking and cognition from different angles. The authors give example here of the game "Ready Player One" of how it is being used to spread American values among reinforcing other learnings.
Converged influence (融合式影响): As a complex system that integrates various cutting-edge technologies, the Metaverse has natural advantages in the application of cognitive warfare. Metaverse can influence people's thinking cognition, value pursuit, moral concept, emotional will, behavior pattern, etc.
Immersion (折冲性浸染): In metaverse, people's thinking and cognition are exchanged between the real world and the virtual space, constantly revising to generate new thinking and cognition, and exert a positive influence on both worlds. This kind of two-way interaction is conducive to the formation and development of correct thinking and cognition, on the one hand, making the cognition of the real world more imaginative with the wings of the virtual world thinking, and it also makes the cognition of the virtual space more imaginative.
Basic Styles of Metaverse in Cognitive Warfare
Platform confrontation (平台对抗): Metaverse operations are prominently manifested as cognitive offensive and defensive operations aimed at disrupting, delaying, deterring, destroying, and eliminating the existence and operation of the opponent's metaverse. In this field, whoever has higher-end strategic operations, more flexible tactical use, more advanced technical strength, and more solid material support will be able to take the initiative in the metaverse cognitive warfare.
System attack (体系破袭): Using superior forces to coerce or use asymmetric tactics to attack and block the key nodes and technological operation chains of the opponent's metaverse system, block its operation, suppress its functions, and destroy its existence.
Distorting channel (曲向导流): This means distorting communication channel. Under normal circumstances, Metaverse is capable of digitally panning, displaying, replaying, and predicting real-world related activities. Once the communication between the virtual world and the real world is blocked or the internal self-operation of the metaverse is out of order, it is easy to cause misrepresentation of the reflected situation, distortion of the analyzed information, failure of the deduced conclusions, and misguided suggestions provided, which will lead to the deviation of the related activities in the real world.
Technologies mentioned in the article to make metaverse a reality
Augmented reality
Virtual reality
Modern communication
Blockchain
Artificial Intelligence
This article is extremely important since it is written by researchers from the Academy of Military Sciences (AMS). AMS is the largest research and academic institution in PLA. AMS is an important organization contributing to theoretical military research in China. Hence, this article reflects how PLA's researchers look towards cognitive warfare and the application of metaverse in the military.
Additional Reading:
Artificial Intelligence: The Winning Blade of Cognitive Warfare
Take the pulse of the world's new development of air defense and missile defense
II. SinoSync
Effect of Ukraine War on China's Tech Sector
The heat of the Ukraine War and Western sanctions on Russia was also felt by the Chinese tech sector this week. The war in Ukraine affects Chinese companies in three ways. First, operations of Chinese companies and Ukraine-China trade were affected due to war. Second, sanctions by the US, EU, and other countries affect China-Russia trade. Sanctions on Russia and its removal from the SWIFT global payments system are likely to make the Russian market difficult to operate for many Chinese companies. Third, Chinese multinational companies balance positions of Russian, Chinese, and Western governments on the war in Ukraine. Over the past few days, Chinese tech giants had to balance concerns of Western nations with Chinese and Russian views. For example, Tik-Tok by Chinese company ByteDance has emerged as a platform of propaganda for Russia and Ukraine. UK and Eu have asked to ban Kremlin-backed media on Tik-Tok in the EU and UK. While it is not banned in Russia.
Chinese government's official position does not endorse sanctions, however, the tech giants which have consumers both inside and outside China are in a fix. Not following the directions of Western nations could bring legal challenges over operations of Chinese companies in America and Europe. The possibility of such action is not unwarranted since the arrest of Huawei's CFO Meng Wanzhou was based on flouting sanctions on Iran. Some Chinese companies had already taken heat due to Trade War between the US and China. Huawei, ZTE, Zhuhai Zhenrong, and many other Chinese companies have been placed under the US Entities List. Now Russian invasion of Ukraine has further put Chinese companies in a difficult position.
Additionally, Chinese social media companies are struggling to manage content related to Ukraine. There are many pro-war (pro-Russia) and anti-war sentiments among Chinese internet users. Some Chinese social media companies are reportedly removing anti-war content being posted outside of China. For example, Weibo reportedly deleted posts of a person who attended an anti-war protest in LA and posted about it on Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter.
SCMP reported that e-commerce merchants in the Shenzhen area have also reported disruptions with AliExpress taking the hardest hit. The exclusion of Russia from SWIFT global payment systems has halted economic transactions between Chinese merchants and Russian customers.
Ukraine is a member of China's flagship "One Belt One Road" initiative. Hence, this war will affect the prospects of Chinese investments in Ukraine. This Reuters report aptly summarizes China's business interests in Ukraine.
According to a Quartz report that cites the UN COMTRADE database, China is a top tech exporter to Russia. Chinese exports to Russia include machinery, semiconductors, and other tech products. Some of these exports are likely to get affected by sanctions from the EU and US. For example, the US sanctions forbid any company from using American tech to trade with Russia. SMIC uses equipment from American suppliers like Applied Materials Inc. to make its chips. Hence, it comes under the preview of the US sanctions on Russia. However, SMIC hasn't clarified its position yet.
Effect of Ukraine War and Actions of Selected Chinese Companies
Tik Tok / Douyin
In China
No Public statement from ByteDance yet.
Banned 6,400 videos and suspended 1,620 live-streaming sessions that violated its rules as part of a targeted crackdown against users who “make a joke out of news events.”
Took down videos calling for “capture of beautiful Ukrainian women.”
Outside China
Banned RT and Sputnik in EU (because of EU's ban on Russian media).
The UK also asked Tik Tok to ban Russian media
Not banned in Russia. Had banned the account of RIA Novosti earlier but reportedly restored it later after the Russian government's intervention later.
Tik Tok is very popular in Russia and Ukraine and hence has become a popular medium of spreading Russian propaganda. Ukrainians are also using Tik Tok to document the Russian invasion.
WeChat/ Weixin
Posted note appealing to users to be objective when discussing international topics i.e. Ukraine.
Shut down improper content. For example, false information alleging that students can receive course credits for enlisting to fight in Ukraine.
Vulgar messages asking “beautiful Ukrainian women” to go to China.
A joint statement by five Chinese professors urging Russia to stop the invasion was reportedly deleted by WeChat.
Banned accounts and removed posts mocking situation in Ukraine (in China)
Bilibili
Actions against jokes on Ukraine (in China)
Didi
Ceased operation in Russia and Kazakhstan. However, it happened a few days before Russia officially invaded Ukraine. So motivation is unclear. Didi has reportedly issued clarification now that it will not stop operations in Russia.
Lenovo
Halted shipments to Russia, but no official statement yet.
Some Chinese internet users have criticized this move by Lenovo, apparently calling it "shame of nation."
Xiaomi
Product launch of Redmi Note 1 canceled in Ukraine. Xiaomi is the top smartphone brand in Ukraine (around 45% shipments). Xiaomi is second top in Russia (around 26% shipments). Operations disrupted due to war.
Oppo
Ranked third in Ukraine (around 6% shipments). Operations disrupted due to war.
SMIC
SMIC uses equipment from American suppliers like Applied Materials Inc to make its chips. Hence, it comes under the preview of the US sanctions on Russia. However, SMIC hasn't clarified its position yet.
ZTE
Was important in building Ukraine's internet infrastructure. Operations disrupted due to war.
Huawei
Fourth most popular smartphone brand in Ukraine. Operations disrupted due to war.
Additional Reading
Megha Pardhi is a Research Analyst at The Takshashila Institution. She tweets at @pardhimegha21.