China, Russia propaganda wither as cameras multiply, US admiral says

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The proliferation of cameras now in use around the world make it increasingly difficult for China and Russia to control the narrative in international disputes, according to a senior U.S. Navy intelligence official.

Photographs and other documentation of run-ins between Chinese and Russian forces and those of other countries have proven critical to debunking propaganda, establishing factual timelines and holding Presidents Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin to account, Rear Adm. Mike Studeman said April 5 at the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space conference in National Harbor, Maryland.

Among recent examples, he said, was Russian harassment of a U.S. Air Force intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance drone, which splashed into the Black Sea after an in-air collision in March. Footage captured by the MQ-9 Reaper — and quickly made public — showed two Russian Su-27 jets flying erratically, dumping fuel and the crash that ultimately forced it down.

“The affected party or a monitoring party, essentially, now is able to take that and say, ‘This is what’s really going on. China, do you stand by it? Xi Jinping, do you stand by it? This is you, right?’” said Studeman, commander of the Office of Naval Intelligence . “There’s a statement: Sunlight is the best disinfectant. That applies right here.”

Cameras have recorded alleged war crimes by Russian troops in Ukraine and intercepts of aircraft across the world. China conducted more than 100 intercepts of U.S. aircraft in international airspace between 2021 and 2023, according to the admiral’s presentation at the conference.

U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Mike Studeman discusses "Chinese high-risk behaviors" at the Navy League's Sea-Air-Space conference in National Harbor, Maryland, on April 5, 2023. (Colin Demarest/C4ISRNET)

Cameras, too, documented an attempted blinding by a Chinese ship of a Philippine coast guard crew in February. Luckily, Studeman said, the “Philippines and others are getting wise to this, and what they’re doing is they’re actually recording.”

“Their best weapon system is not a gun, it’s not a missile,” he said. “Their best weapon system is actually a camera or video camera to be able to show the world what’s really happening.”

Pentagon officials consider China and Russia premier national security threats. The U.S. military, as a result, spends countless hours monitoring their respective maneuvers, fortifications and investments.

If bad-faith behavior is not exposed, it will continue to “thrive in the shadows, like a mushroom,” said Studeman, who previously served as the director of intelligence at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

“Staying silent in this world that I just described, that China’s painting, is not an option,” he said , “and will not advance our security interests or those of any other nation out there.”

Colin Demarest was a reporter at C4ISRNET, where he covered military networks, cyber and IT. Colin had previously covered the Department of Energy and its National Nuclear Security Administration — namely Cold War cleanup and nuclear weapons development — for a daily newspaper in South Carolina. Colin is also an award-winning photographer.

马里兰州国家港——据一位美国海军高级情报官员称，如今世界各地摄像头的普及使得中国和俄罗斯越来越难以控制国际争端中的舆论走向。

海军少将迈克·斯图德曼4月5日在马里兰州国家港举行的海军联盟海空航天会议上表示，中国和俄罗斯军队以及其他国家军队发生冲突的照片和其他记录对于揭穿宣传、建立事实时间线以及追究习近平主席和弗拉基米尔·普京主席的责任至关重要。

他举例说，最近的一个例子是俄罗斯骚扰美国空军的一架情报、监视和侦察无人机，该无人机在3月份空中相撞后坠入黑海。MQ-9“死神”无人机拍摄的画面（并迅速公之于众）显示，两架俄罗斯苏-27战机飞行轨迹异常，倾倒燃油，最终导致苏-27战机坠毁。

“受影响方或监督方现在基本上可以据此说：‘这才是真相。中国，你们承认吗？习近平，你们承认吗？这就是你们，对吧？’”海军情报办公室指挥官斯图德曼说。“有句话说：阳光是最好的消毒剂。这句话在这里同样适用。”

摄像机记录了俄罗斯军队在乌克兰涉嫌犯下的战争罪行，以及在世界各地拦截飞机的行动。根据这位海军上将在会议上的发言，2021年至2023年间，中国在国际空域拦截了100多架美国飞机。

2023年4月5日，美国海军少将迈克·斯图德曼在马里兰州国家港举行的海军联盟海空航天会议上讨论了“中国的高风险行为”。（科林·德马雷斯特/C4ISRNET）

摄像机还记录了2月份一艘中国船只试图致盲菲律宾海岸警卫队队员的事件。幸运的是，斯图德曼说，“菲律宾和其他国家已经开始意识到这一点，他们正在做的就是录像。”

他说：“他们最好的武器系统既不是枪炮，也不是导弹。他们最好的武器系统实际上是摄像机，可以向世界展示真相。”

五角大楼官员将中国和俄罗斯视为首要的国家安全威胁。因此，美军花费大量时间监控两国的军事演习、防御工事和投资。

斯图德曼曾担任美国印太司令部情报主管，他表示，如果恶意行为不被揭露，它就会像蘑菇一样在阴影中继续滋生。

“在这个我刚才描述的世界里，在这个中国描绘的世界里保持沉默是不可行的，”他说，“这既不利于我们自身的安全利益，也不利于任何其他国家的安全利益。”

科林·德马雷斯特曾是C4ISRNET的记者，负责报道军事网络、网络安全和信息技术方面的新闻。此前，他曾为南卡罗来纳州的一家日报报道美国能源部及其下属的国家核安全管理局，主要关注冷战后的清理工作和核武器研发。科林还是一位屡获殊荣的摄影师。