By Jerry Dunleavy
The Associated Press is running paid public relations advertisements on X and on the wire service’s own website on behalf of Huawei as the blacklisted Chinese telecom behemoth and the CCP seek influence over a key United Nations tech agency.
The U.S. government has long pointed to the national security threat posed by Huawei and has sought to limit the firm’s spread inside the United States and around the world. At the same time, the AP took cash from the Chinese company to promote Huawei’s efforts to burnish its image as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) seeks to influence the UN’s International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and increase the penetration of Chinese telecoms and networks worldwide.
The paid tweet by the AP — sent on Mar. 12 and now boasting more than 75 million views — highlighted Huawei’s links to ITU and its efforts on the world stage, and a paid article from Huawei published by the AP promoted Huawei’s efforts in AI. The tweets are clearly marked as “Paid advertisement.”
The U.S. National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence stated in 2021 that “national champion” firms such as Huawei help “lead development of AI technologies at home” and “advance state-directed priorities that feed military and security programs.”
“China is the most capable competitor in the AI space, and aims to displace the U.S. as the global AI leader by 2030,” the Office of the Director of National Intelligence assessed in March. “China is driving AI adoption at scale — both domestically and internationally — by using its sizable talent pool, extensive datasets, government funding, and burgeoning global partnerships.”
Michael Sobolik, a China expert and senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, told Just the Newsthat “the Associated Press claims to provide ‘news without an agenda,’ and says that its mission is ‘journalism, not profit margins.’ It’s hard to square those praise-worthy goals with taking money from a CCP-controlled company to boost its propaganda.”
“The AP isn’t alone in doing this either. It’s the latest in a number of American reporting outlets that willingly become propaganda conduits for Beijing,” Sobolik added. “There’s no First Amendment in China, but CCP-controlled companies can push their message in America for the right price.”
Neither Huawei nor the Associated Press responded to a request for comment from Just the News.
The tweet by the AP from earlier this month noted that it was a “paid advertisement from @Huawei” and it touted Huawei’s role in hosting the TECH Cares Forum in Barcelona earlier this month.
“From AI infrastructure to biodiversity protection, Huawei shined a light on both digital inclusion and conservation tech ahead of Mobile World Congress 2026,” the AP said on X.
The video in the AP tweet related to Huawei and the forum featured an interview with Cosmas Zavazava, the director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau at the ITU, who said, “Artificial intelligence has as its foundation. We need local data, we need local infrastructure, we need local talent.”
Zavazava has been the director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau at ITU since 2023, and in the past he led the Republic of Zimbabwe’s Government Telecommunications Agency and served as a senior diplomat for the African nation. Zavazava’s curriculum vitaenoted his previous ITU work in numerous countries, including China.
Huawei noted in its own separate press release in March that Zavazava had “commended Huawei’s achievements and work to bridge the digital divide” and quoted the UN agency official as saying that “I applaud Huawei’s commitment to universal and meaningful connectivity and I am proud of our strong and successful partnership.”
Read the rest of the article at Just the News
