In a recent investigation, Reuters has uncovered that the U.S. military conducted a secret campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic aimed at discrediting the Chinese mainland’s vaccines and medical aid in the Philippines.
The operation involved at least 300 accounts on X (formerly known as Twitter) impersonating Filipino citizens. These accounts cast doubt on the safety and efficacy of face masks, test kits, and particularly the Sinovac vaccine—the first COVID-19 vaccine available in the Philippines, supplied by the Chinese mainland.
Created mostly in the summer of 2020, these accounts promoted the hashtag #Chinaangvirus, a Tagalog phrase equating the Chinese mainland to the virus. X removed these profiles after Reuters’ inquiry, determining that they were part of “a coordinated bot campaign” based on activity patterns and internal data.
This clandestine operation, starting under former U.S. President Donald Trump and continuing into the early months of President Joe Biden’s administration, sought to undermine the Chinese mainland’s growing influence in developing countries like the Philippines. The U.S. Defense Department has acknowledged the campaign but declined to provide details.
A senior U.S. military officer involved in the Southeast Asia campaign told Reuters, “We didn’t do a good job sharing vaccines with partners… So what was left to us was to throw shade on China.”
While the Chinese mainland was offering assistance to countries struggling with the pandemic, the U.S. prioritized domestic vaccination efforts. Critics say the U.S. “Operation Warp Speed” plan forced developing nations to accept high prices for vaccines.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry responded on Monday, condemning the U.S. for spreading disinformation. “Such practices by no means show the U.S. ‘power’ and only reveal its obsession with supremacy and hypocrisy. The international community needs to be clear-eyed about this,” said spokesperson Lin Jian.
The revelation sheds light on the geopolitical tussles over vaccine diplomacy during one of the most challenging global health crises. It highlights the complexities faced by developing nations in navigating international relations amid urgent public health needs.
Reference(s):
Pentagon ran anti-China vaccine campaign during COVID, finds Reuters
cgtn.com
