China denounces U.S. disinformation campaign against its COVID-19 vaccines

China on Tuesday accused the U.S. of "hypocrisy and malign intention" after its military was reported to conduct secret psychological warfare to discredit Chinese vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Reuters investigative report issued on Friday said the U.S. military launched a secret psychological operation to counter China's growing influence in the Philippines at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which used social media accounts to impersonate Filipinos and spread disinformation about the safety and efficacy of vaccines and other life-saving aid supplied by China.

"People around the world are indignant about the U.S. military's actions, which lay bare the hypocrisy, malign intention, and double standards of the United States," said a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines in response to the report.

The spokesperson said that despite the U.S. reaffirming its so-called ironclad commitment to its allies all the time, it is always America first when it comes to the critical moment of fighting the epidemic together, exploiting the vulnerability of the Filipino people for its ulterior geopolitical motives.

China was the first to provide COVID response supplies and vaccines to the Philippines, but their cooperation against the onslaught of the disease was not as smooth as it was supposed to be, said the spokesperson, adding "obstruction and sabotage from a third country and certain forces happened all along."

"By denying access to Chinese assistance, and in defiance of the global public opinion, the United States dares to spread rumors and spin stories on major global public health issues including the vaccine," said the spokesperson, urging the U.S. to stop fabricating and spreading disinformation against other countries.

Noting that more and more behind-the-scenes stories have been told by insiders since the end of the pandemic, the spokesperson said the above-mentioned report is one of the latest that connects the dots and reveals the true picture to the world.

(Cover: A view of the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines. /Chinese Embassy in the Philippines)