China accuses the US of “malicious intent” to discredit its COVID vaccines

MANILA:

China’s embassy in the Philippines has accused the US military of “hypocrisy, malicious intent and double standards” in response to a report of a covert US campaign to undermine confidence in Chinese vaccines and other aid during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The remarks made by the Chinese embassy spokesman in Manila on Tuesday were in response to a Reuters investigative report that said the US military launched a secret program during the COVID pandemic to discredit China’s Sinovac vaccination in the Philippines.

The investigation found that the US military aimed to sow doubt about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines and other life-saving aids provided by China. Through fake Internet accounts meant to impersonate Filipinos, the military’s propaganda efforts turned into an anti-tax evasion campaign, according to the report.

“People around the world are outraged by the actions of the US military that expose the hypocrisy, malign intent and double standards of the United States,” an embassy spokesman said in a statement.

“While they talk about respecting human rights, the United States does exactly the opposite when it comes to the fundamental human rights to life and health of the Filipino people.”

The US Embassy in Manila referred a request for comment to its Defense Department. In the Reuters report, a senior Defense Department official acknowledged that the US military is engaged in covert propaganda to discredit China’s vaccine in the developing world, but the official declined to elaborate.

A Pentagon spokeswoman said in the report that the U.S. military “uses a variety of platforms, including social media, to counter these malicious influence attacks targeting the U.S., allies and partners.” He also said China had launched a “disinformation campaign to falsely blame the United States for the spread of COVID-19.”