Outsourcing Influence

I wrote about China’s expanding social media monitoring and manipulation industry: the firms building and deploying bot networks for party-state actors and expanding into Western platforms. You can read the piece here: www.gmfus.org/news/outsour...

A few points about the industry🧵

Many thanks to Charles Parton OBE for the mention on Sky News this morning - discussing the Mandelson case and China.
The revolving door, political donations, All-party parliamentary groups - we don't know it yet but these are the frontline in a significant geopolitical battle.

"In the UK at this time, the so-called ‘money men’ seem to have outmaneuvered those responsible for issues closer to security and sovereignty."

Read our Q&A with @methorley.bsky.social on the UK-China "golden era:" buff.ly/364ywAI

Martin Thorley on How The UK-China Golden Era Lost Its Shine - The Wire China The writer discusses what led the British government to cozy up to China in the mid-2010s and the lingering lessons from that time.

Published today: I sat down with The Wire China for an interview - we discussed my new book, engagement with authoritarian states, the UK's 'golden era' with China, and the financialisation of liberal democracy.

www.thewirechina.com/2026/04/12/m...

Martin Thorley on How The UK-China Golden Era Lost Its Shine - The Wire China The writer discusses what led the British government to cozy up to China in the mid-2010s and the lingering lessons from that time.

In a Q&A with @methorley.bsky.social, the UK-China “Golden Era” is revisited: how financial interests and pro-engagement elites drove closer ties with Beijing in the 2010s, sidelining security concerns until a later political backlash. www.thewirechina.com/2026/04/12/m...

北京欢迎你[完整版MV] YouTube video by shirley3w

for no reason at all Youtube sent me the Beijing Olympics song "Beijing welcomes you". 78 celebrities from China, HK, TW, Singapore sang the song in 2008. and the comment section, wow, it's all nostalgia.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6gs...

The G. B. Lee Archive

#China #1980s
In case you are not aware of it, you can find my podcasts and historical, China films (8mm) on The G.B. Lee Archive on Youtube.

www.youtube.com/@theg.b.leea...

Beware! Britain is selling out to China Martin Thorley, in All That Glistens, reveals that in Westminster and Whitehall, the City and our universities, Beijing has acquired a ‘critical mass’ of influence

With news of the Chinese 'mega' embassy approval in London, time to re-up @edwardlucas.bsky.social's review of @methorley.bsky.social's new book, 'All That Glistens' in @thetimes.com

Order your copy at 25% off w/code GLISTENS25 ➡️ tinyurl.com/34wdtpp2

tinyurl.com/2fekbznm

Yalda Hakim and I discussing things on her show.

Yesterday evening I joined @yaldahakim.bsky.social to discuss her colleagues’ report on unrest in China as well as transnational repression. One eye on an expected UK PM visit to China later this month.

A selection of books in a bookstore, including ‘All That Glistens’.

A selection of books in a bookstore, including ‘All That Glistens’.

A photo sent over by a friend - taken at Piccadilly Waterstones in London. First time seeing All That Glistens out in the wild…
@hurstpublishers.bsky.social

Matt Frei on LBC UK - Catch Up | Global Player Catch up on the last 7 days of shows from Matt Frei on LBC UK

🎙️'As with Russia, an authoritarian state of this nature will push until it encounters resistance.'

@methorley.bsky.social on @lbc.co.uk discussing the latest Chinese hacking scandal and his book All That Glistens: Chinese Party-State Influence in Britain👇
www.globalplayer.com/catchup/lbc/...

A Christmas background of red ornaments shows the book covers of 7 new titles: The New Byzantines, Far-Right France, Shine Your Eye, Z Generation, The Indian Caliphate, All That Glistens, and The Arab Bureau.

📚🎄 LAST CHANCE: UK customers who order by midnight 17 December can guarantee delivery before Christmas. Our latest December releases & advance stock on January titles included!

👉 hurstpublishers.com

@methorley.bsky.social
@irgarner.bsky.social
@vmallet.bsky.social

'New in December' banner with red holiday ornaments featuring the book covers of All That Glistens, The New Byzantines, The Indian Caliphate, and The Z Generation.

🎄Our latest December releases are available in time for the holidays. Order by midnight December 15th to guarantee UK Christmas delivery.

👉 hurstpublishers.com

@methorley.bsky.social @irgarner.bsky.social

#histbookchat #China New arrival! All That Glistens: China Party-State Influence in Britain by Martin Thorley
@methorley.bsky.social from @hurstpublishers.bsky.social
as supplied by Aunty Lesley of Bridge Books
@bridgebooksdromore.bsky.social the shiniest bookseller on the Emerald Isle!!

A box containing newly printed copies of “All That Glistens”.

Received a special delivery: ‘All That Glistens: Chinese Party-State Influence in Britain’ with @hurstpublishers.bsky.social

Expect to see some reviews and interviews next week.

www.hurstpublishers.com/book/all-tha...

One month today, my book 'All That Glistens: Chinese Party-State Influence in Britain' is published with @hurstpublishers.bsky.social. I’m including some of the quotes from the back cover. More info available via the link. www.hurstpublishers.com/book/all-tha...

The Milk Tea Alliance: Inside Asia's Struggle Against Autocracy And Beijing

A 2 day mini book tour to promote my new @columbiagr.bsky.social slim volume, Tuesday talk at the Hoover (video already up here www.hoover.org/events/milk-... ) & then Wednesday at @cwclub.bsky.social (event co sponsored by @dissentmag.bsky.social (podcast to come)

3/3 More feedback:

“‘A stylish narrative on the rise and fall of Chinese Communist Party political reach in Britain over a decade”

2/3 More feedback:

“Thorley’s analysis, that the UK is a corrupt enabler of authoritarian politics makes original and disturbing reading”

1/3 Today is the final day you can get 25% off All That Glistens: Chinese Party-State Influence in Britain with @waterstones.bsky.social @newchinabooks.bsky.social

We’ve started to receive early feedback:

“One of the most important books to have been published on the UK-China relationship”

1/3 @waterstones.bsky.social are offering 25% off my book if pre-ordered by Thursday:
All That Glistens: Chinese Party-State influence in Britain.
With @hurstpublishers.bsky.social

All That Glistens by Martin Thorley | Waterstones Buy All That Glistens by Martin Thorley from Waterstones today! Click and Collect from your local Waterstones or get FREE UK delivery on orders over £25.

3/3 The book at @Waterstones can be found via this link. Remember to use the code ‘SUMMER25’ for the 25% discount.
www.waterstones.com/book/all-tha...

2/3 Early feedback for the book:

1/3 @waterstones.bsky.social are offering 25% off my book if pre-ordered by Thursday:
All That Glistens: Chinese Party-State influence in Britain.
With @hurstpublishers.bsky.social

Job opportunities | Careers with the Global Initiative We always welcome expressions of interest from experts in different forms of transnational organized crime or with a geographic speciality, for limited-time cooperation.

The GI-TOC is hiring in Asia.

Field Coordinators in:
Cambodia,
Laos,
Thailand
Vietnam;

Legal Consultant in Malaysia.

Further details about the positions are available via the link. globalinitiative.net/about-us/jobs/

JIED Special Issue: Geocriminality – state instrumentalization of criminality abroad This special issue will explore the concept and its wide-ranging ramifications for crime and crime prevention. While state instrumentalization of crime in general is as old as statehood itself, the fo...

A reminder that GI-TOC is running a special issue of our LSE Press academic journal JIED on the topic of geocriminality

We’ll need a short letter of intent by Monday 21 April if you’d like to contribute to the debate on state use of criminality abroad.

globalinitiative.net/announcement...

Of kingdoms and crooks: The rise of geocriminality Globalization, state–crime collaboration and tense geopolitical conditions have given rise to a troubling new phenomenon. More needs to be done to better understand this emerging threat and its implic...

1/6 Introducing geocriminality. In my latest short article, I highlight a change we’re witnessing in state instrumentalization of criminality. While states have used criminal networks in various forms since their genesis, this relationship is transforming. globalinitiative.net/analysis/the...

JIED Special Issue: Geocriminality – state instrumentalization of criminality abroad This special issue will explore the concept and its wide-ranging ramifications for crime and crime prevention. While state instrumentalization of crime in general is as old as statehood itself, the forces of globalization and adversarial geopolitical conditions have led to an evolution in its form. Just as rapid progress in fields of communication, travel and technology have underpinned development in business, so too has it nurtured capacity in state-crime relationships.

6/6 We’d be fascinated to hear from potential contributors to this special issue on geocriminality in the GI-TOC’s academic journal JIED – with London School of Economics Press @lsepress.bsky.social. Details of the call can be found via the link.
globalinitiative.net/announcement...

5/6 When regimes that face little scrutiny at home face increased constraints operating abroad, the use of criminals by the state becomes more attractive. But plenty of questions remain – as well as the article in the first post, we have issued a Call for Papers:

4/6 Just as globalization has transformed politics and business, it's impacts (e.g. advances in travel, internationalization of markets and the erosion of capital flow boundaries) have also transformed the state-crime landscape. New challenges abound…