The Chamber of Deputies is considering creating a Commission on Foreign Influence to investigate Home Credit. The move is in response to reports that Petr Kellner’s Home Credit sponsored a covert campaign to improve China’s image in the Czech Republic.
C&B billed over 2,000 hours of work from April to August to Home Credit to portray China positively in Czech media while at the same time fiercely attacking critics of the communist regime.
Home Credit confirmed it hired C&B. But the company claims the campaign was meant to “rationalize the public debate on entrepreneurship in China.” Home Credit denies the allegations that the work was undertaken on behalf of the Chinese government. Kellner’s spokespeople said the campaign was strictly business and not meant to be political in anyway.
Home Credit is a credit firm owned by the wealthiest Czech Petr Kellner. According to Forbes, Kellner’s PPF has estimated assets worth 350 billion.
Home Credit created Sinoskop, a China-focused institute. Sinoskop is seen by many as a Chinese propaganda machine designed in response to the China skeptic Sinopsis.