Beijing Says Anti-Chinese Vaccine Campaign Proves US Spreads False Information

The secret anti-vax vaccine campaign the US ran to discredit China proves Washington is behind the spread of false information, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

"Facts have repeatedly proven that the US has consistently manipulated social media to spread false information, poison the public perception, and smear the image of other countries," a Foreign Ministry statement read.

The remarks are in response to an investigative report claiming that the US, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, launched a campaign to counter what it perceived as China's growing influence in the Philippines.

It said social media posts decried the quality of face masks, test kits and the first vaccine that would become available in the Philippines – China's Sinovac.

"The anti-Chinese vaccine campaign exposes the real intention of the US to launch disinformation attacks against other countries," the ministry said.

"The US' suppression of other countries is also evident in smearing the popular Belt and Road Initiative, spreading rumors about China's EV 'overcapacity', and so on," it added. "This only exposes the US' hypocrisy and hegemonic aspirations, not its 'great power'."

The Philippine Department of Health in a statement on Sunday said the investigative report should be investigated.​​​​​​​ -