China’s government has spent billions of dollars in recent years to expand state-sponsored media agencies, including China Radio, Xinhua News Agency, and China Central Television, a CNN-like TV service. The US edition of its newspaper, called China Daily, debuted in 2009 and is now being produced in Boston, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. and four other major U.S. cities. In an August press release announcing a weekly tabloid produced by China Daily’s US edition, the newspaper claimed a total circulation of 150,000 copies. The newspaper does not participate in audits with the Audit Bureau of Circulations, according to a bureau spokesman.

After the initial free four weeks, subscriptions to China Daily will cost Boston readers $99 a year for weekday editions, and $49 annually for weekend editions, according to a customer service representative. The free samples of China Daily are being inserted in delivery copies of The Boston Globe, which is printing and distributing the Boston version, according to Globe spokesman Robert Powers, who did not comment further.

Officials of China Daily did not return requests for comment, but the August press release, citing China Daily’s editor in chief, Zhu Ling, stated that North America is a key priority in the paper’s international strategy. In other words, North America has been targeted for subtle foreign influence of United States domestic policy! Aimin Yan, a Boston University business management professor familiar with China Daily, said the newspaper is used by China’s government to polish its global image. Recent copies of the paper ran about 40 pages.

Advertising was scant, though. In a recent issue, one half-page ad was from East West Bank in Pasadena, Calif. Another ad promoted the Kindle version of the Daily.The paper has posted online ads seeking an operations manager to help build the publication’s Boston presence.

Local analysts and media representatives were surprised to learn that China Daily was being printed in Boston. They described the paper as a cheerleader for China’s government, not a source for objective or comprehensive news.

“It’s a public relations tool, and part of the propaganda to promote China the way they want it,’’ said Teresa Cheong, marketing coordinator at Sampan, a bimonthly Chinese-English language paper in Boston. “Most of the news they cover is boasting for the Chinese government.” 

“There is a pretty good Asian community here, and it’s grown in political power,’’ said Carrie Tang, a senior reporter for the Boston bureau of World Journal, a national Chinese-language newspaper.

“There are so many companies in the Boston area that have some business relationship or have some business operations’’ in China, said BU’s Yan. China Daily probably selected Boston for its scholars, students, and professionals as persons of influence and who may have ties with or an interest in China, analysts said.