By Qamar Bashir

The National Endowment for Democracy (NED), often referred to as the “White Gloves,” is a nonprofit foundation established in 1983 and funded by the U.S. Congress. Its declared purpose is to support democratic governance worldwide by providing grants to political parties, civic groups, labor unions, and media organizations. These efforts are aligned with U.S. economic and security interests, creating trade and investment opportunities while reducing the influence of competitors in target countries, with China and Russia being primary focuses due to their perceived threats to U.S. strategic interests.

While the declared objectives of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) seem noble, its undeclared objectives can be daunting, raising concerns and potential dangers for target countries, including China, Hong Kong, Myanmar, Egypt, Iran, Pakistan, Tunisia, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Russia, Ukraine, Venezuela, Cuba, Nigeria, and the Congo, among others, covering almost all continents.

Since its establishment NED has received massive funding from the U.S. Congress. Though, funding also has two faces, declared funding is $18 million per year, but undeclared fundings is provided to support special  initiatives in specific countries of interest, such as Poland, Chile, Nicaragua, South Africa, Burma and specially China.

Analysts believe that NED’s presence and activities in Pakistan contribute to a complex political landscape, which has been linked to PTI’s allegations of a U.S.-initiated regime change. PTI, led by Imran Khan, has accused the U.S. of orchestrating his ousting as Prime Minister in April 2022 through a no-confidence motion. The Pakistani government and certain political factions view NED’s activities as a form of U.S. interference in domestic politics. This perception is often based on the broader context of U.S. foreign policy and its history of involvement in regime change operations in Pakistan and other countries.

In Iran NED is accused of fomenting protests against hijab in 2022 by releasing batches of unverified information and pictures to incite public sentiments. NED regularly published commentaries on its Journal of Democracy to call for a regime change in Iran through human rights movement. NED is dubbed by Iranian media as a “National Enemy for Democracy” and “the NED Trojan” disrupting order and inciting unrest in Iran.

NED was also an instrument in fomenting Ukraine’s “color revolution and Orange Revolution in 2004. NED financed the Mass Media Institute to spread inflammatory information. NED spent tens of millions of dollars to coopt Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram to spread disinformation, heighten ethnic tensions in Ukraine, and stir up ethnic antagonism in eastern Ukraine.

In July 2023, the Journal of Democracy published five articles on Indian democracy under the theme of “Is India Still a Democracy,” claiming that since Prime Minister Narendra Modi rose to power, his government has engaged in what is, by some accounts, a wholesale dismantling of democratic institutions, norms, and practices. In April 2024, the Journal of Democracy published an article “Why This Election Is India’s Most Important,” claiming that democratic governance in India has been steadily eroding since Modi’s second term began and that the future of India as a plural, secular democracy could be on the line if Prime Minister Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party win a third consecutive term. This campaign finally eroded the mass popularity of the BJP in Election 2024 denying it ⅔ majority in the parliament.

Like many other countries of the world, the activities of NED threatened China’s Socialist rule by directly confronting with the Chinese system of governance which unlike democracies is based upon elections and selections, one party rule and centralized control credited with achieving rapid economic growth and maintaining social stability compared to democratic systems which advocates plurality, individual liberty and rule of law but face political gridlock and slower decision-making processes.

China is particularly worried about NED activities which are perceived as subverting state power, meddling in its internal affairs, inciting division and confrontation, misleading public opinion, and conducting ideological infiltration drawing strong condemnation  from  the Chinese civil society.

In China, It funds organizations that document and expose human rights abuses, provide legal support  to political and separatists activists, manipulate marginalized communities and promote grassroots activism. It encourages community organizing to undermine the Chinese political and governance system. Additionally, it manipulates  and adds toxic strands in the Chinese press by funding independent journalists and media outlets to encourage them to offer uncensored news and advocate for legal and judicial reforms. It funds specific programs to manipulate ethnic and religious minorities, such as Tibetans and Uyghurs, and provides training and capacity-building to enhance their level of resistance against the Chinese Government.

To counter NED’s toxic interference, China has implemented several concrete measures to counteract. It has enacted Foreign NGO Law  in 2017 requiring all foreign NGOs to register with the Ministry of Public Security and obtain approval for their activities. It passed the National Security Law in 2015 to give extensive powers to the government to manage and control foreign influence, while the Cybersecurity Law of 2017 imposes strict controls on internet usage and data management, targeting online platforms and social media that might be used for organizing or promoting dissent. Administratively, China has restricted visas and expelled individuals associated with NED and intensified surveillance of Chinese citizens and organizations receiving foreign funding to curb foreign-supported activities aimed at destabilizing the stable and productive Chinese systems.

Diplomatically, China frequently denounces the NED and accuses it of attempting to destabilize the country. Additionally, China applies diplomatic pressure on other countries to limit or cut funding to organizations like the NED, leveraging its economic and political influence to reduce international support for democracy promotion activities within its borders.

The NED employs both overt and alleged covert tools to achieve its objectives of promoting democracy and supporting civil society organizations. Overtly, NED provides direct grants, capacity-building programs, and support for independent media and human rights advocacy. Covertly, NED or its affiliates use disguised funding channels, intelligence gathering through informant networks, media manipulation, disinformation campaigns, secret training programs, and cyber operations. These covert activities aim to influence political dynamics, spread misinformation, and support specific groups or individuals without direct attribution, thereby ensuring strategic objectives are met discreetly.

There is dire for the governments around the world to take cognizance of NED clandestine and covert activities and take necessary precaution to safeguard their national interest and insulate their societies from the toxic strains of NED covert operations.

By Qamar Bashir

Former Press Secretary to the President

Former Press Minister to the Embassy of Pakistan to France

Former MD, SRBC, CEO, ATV