This issue’s Special Forum consists of four articles on individual cases—New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and South Korea. This introduction covers the single-country articles, comparing the four cases, while it also looks broadly at the nature of such interference, reaching beyond Chinese intrusive activities to focus on them as examples of “sharp power,” a contrast to “smart power” and a manifestation of “deconstructing” national identity and taking advantage of existing national identity gaps. Sharp power is perceived as a new phenomenon—capable of disruption on an unprecedented scale—but it has its roots in themes long under discussion.

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