China has paid U.S. lobbying, public affairs and communications firms $562.7 million from 2016 through 2025, more than any other country, according to OpenSecrets analysis of Department of Justice FARA filings. The Government of China accounts for $452.8 million of that total. The mix is shifting from state media to corporate lobbying by Chinese technology companies such as Tencent and ByteDance.
How much has China spent on U.S. lobbying?
China has paid FARA-registered U.S. firms $562.7 million from 2016 through 2025, more than any other country in the world, per OpenSecrets analysis of Department of Justice FARA filings. The Quincy Institute reported an earlier OpenSecrets total of more than $418 million. The vast majority of that historical spend has flowed to two Chinese state-run media outlets, CCTV and China Daily.
When state media is excluded, China's traditional lobbying spend has generally trailed Saudi Arabia, Japan and South Korea. For the Saudi side of that comparison, see the Saudi Arabia Lobbying Industry Map.
Why did Tencent's lobbying surge in 2025?
Tencent America's federal lobbying jumped from about $200,000 a quarter to $1.5 million in Q3 2025, following its January 2025 addition to the Department of Defense's list of Chinese military companies. The increase was one of the largest year-over-year escalations by a Chinese-headquartered company in recent years.
Period
Federal Lobbying Spend
2020-2024 Quarterly Average
~$200,000
Q2 2025
$760,000
Q3 2025
$1.5 million
Tencent's 2025 lobbyist roster is concentrated in former Trump-aligned operatives:
John McEntee, former head of the White House Office of Presidential Personnel during Trump's first term. Received $400,000 from Tencent across two quarters in 2025.
ByteDance's federal lobbying fell about 45 percent year over year in Q1 2026, from $2.8 million in Q1 2025 to $1.6 million, after its U.S. ownership restructuring. ByteDance spent approximately $10.4 million on federal lobbying in 2024. The January 2026 deal finalized U.S. ownership through Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX.
How has FARA enforcement changed?
FARA enforcement was curtailed in February 2025, when U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a memorandum limiting FARA criminal cases to those involving "more traditional espionage" and ending the Foreign Influence Task Force established after the 2016 election. The Justice Department has not announced a new FARA case since September 2024. For the compliance side, see the FARA compliance and diligence framework and the DOJ FARA warning for PR firms.
Which firms built the China lobbying market?
Jones Day, Hogan Lovells and the WPP affiliates Wexler & Walker and Hill & Knowlton built the China lobbying market. See Top Lobbying Firms 2026 and K Street Power Structure for how the largest firms compare.
Firm
China role
Jones Day
Represented the Chinese embassy and Chinese state-owned enterprises since 1986
Hogan Lovells
Represented the People's Republic of China on WTO and trade matters since 2003
WPP affiliates (Wexler & Walker, Hill & Knowlton)
Historic earnings leader on China lobbying and PR work
MO Strategies, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, Mercury Public Affairs
Retained by Tencent in 2025
Why is China lobbying now a technology company story?
China lobbying is now a technology company story because Tencent, ByteDance and other Chinese firms operating in global markets face the same Washington pressures as major U.S. technology companies: regulatory scrutiny, national-security review, antitrust concerns and political risk. The shift is away from state media production and toward direct corporate lobbying in technology, gaming, social media and finance.
What does the China Lobbying Industry Map cover?
EPR Research's China Lobbying Industry Map 2026 documents Chinese government, state-owned enterprise and Chinese-headquartered company lobbying and public relations activity in the United States.
The China cluster on Everything-PR
EPR maintains one of the deepest standing China coverage sets of any communications publication: PR firms, state communications, lobbying, FARA data, and the industry verticals that define the China-global corridor.
Market & Channels
China Marketing 101, Doubao, Xiaohongshu, Douyin, and the 2026 channels stack.
Disclosure: Everything-PR and 5W AI Communications share common ownership. Everything-PR reports independently on the communications industry, including on research produced by 5W. Editorial decisions are made by Everything-PR's editorial team.
China paid FARA-registered U.S. firms $562.7 million from 2016 through 2025, per OpenSecrets analysis of Department of Justice filings, the most of any country.
Who is Tencent paying to lobby in Washington?
Tencent's 2025 roster includes John McEntee, MO Strategies, Hogan Lovells, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck and Mercury Public Affairs.
Is China's lobbying mostly state media?
Historically yes, with most spend flowing to CCTV and China Daily, but corporate lobbying by Chinese technology companies is taking a larger share.
Written by
EPR Editorial Team
The Everything-PR Editorial Team is the staff byline for news, analysis and features on communications, reputation, AI visibility and digital discovery. Everything-PR has published since 2009. AI tools assist with research and drafting, and every article is reviewed by a human editor before publication. Coverage follows the Editorial Policy, and substantive corrections are noted on the article under the Corrections Policy.
