China accuses U.S. of 'smear' campaign during pandemic

Record ID: 1823543

  • Title: China accuses U.S. of 'smear' campaign during pandemic
  • Date: 17th June 2024
  • Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (JUNE 17, 2024) (REUTERS) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON LIN JIAN ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE JOURNALISTS SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON, LIN JIAN, SAYING: "We have noted the relevant reports. Facts have repeatedly proven that the U.S. has been manipulating social media to spread false information, influencing public opinion to smear the image of other countries. This is a consistent practice (by the U.S.) and China is firmly opposed to it." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS EXTERIOR OF CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY CHINESE NATIONAL FLAG FLYING
  • Embargoed: 1st July 2024 09:58
  • Keywords: CHINA COVID COVID-19 FOREIGN MINISTRY PROPAGANDA SECRET ANTI-VAX CAMPAIGN SPECIAL REPORT USA pandemic
  • Location: BEIJING, CHINA
  • City: BEIJING, CHINA
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Asia / Pacific,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001134117062024RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:China’s foreign ministry on Monday (June 17) accused the United States of ‘smearing' the image of other countries, when asked for a response to a Reuters report on how the Pentagon ran a secret anti-vax campaign to undermine China during the pandemic.
    "Facts have repeatedly proven that the U.S. has been manipulating social media to spread false information, influencing public opinion to smear the image of other countries," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said during a regular news briefing.
    According to the report, the U.S. military launched a clandestine program at the height of COVID-19 to discredit China’s Sinovac inoculation – payback for Beijing’s efforts to blame Washington for the pandemic. With the Filipino public as the target, the campaign aimed to sow doubt about the safety and efficacy of vaccines and other life-saving aid that was being supplied by China, the Reuters investigation found.
    Reuters identified at least 300 accounts on X, formerly Twitter, that matched descriptions shared by former U.S. military officials familiar with the Philippines operation. Almost all were created in the summer of 2020 and centered on the slogan #Chinaangvirus – Tagalog for China is the virus.
    (Production: Wang Shubing, Josh D. Arslan)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2024. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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