China accused the United States military of “hypocrisy, malign intentions, and double standards,” through its embassy in the Philippines, responding to reports of a covert US campaign aimed at undermining confidence in Chinese vaccines and aid during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The comments from the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in Manila on Tuesday were in reaction to a Reuters investigative report revealing that the U.S. military initiated a covert program during the COVID-19 pandemic to undermine confidence in China’s Sinovac vaccine in the Philippines.
The embassy spokesperson criticized the U.S. military’s actions, stating, “The investigation found that the U.S. military aimed to sow doubt about the safety and efficacy of vaccines and other life-saving aid supplied by China.”
The military’s efforts reportedly evolved into an anti-vax campaign through phony internet accounts impersonating Filipinos, according to the report.
The US military, as reported, “uses a variety of platforms, including social media, to counter those malign influence attacks aimed at the U.S., allies, and partners,” stated a Pentagon spokeswoman. She also pointed out that China had launched a “disinformation campaign to falsely blame the United States for the spread of COVID-19