During the peak of the COVID-19 ‘pandemic’ the US military launched a covert operation to counter China’s growing influence in the Philippines according to a Reuters investigation.
The campaign used fake social media accounts to impersonate Filipinos, spreading information to cast doubt on the quality of China’s Sinovac vaccine and other pandemic supplies.
The operation, which involved over 300 accounts on platforms like X aimed to undermine confidence in China’s aid efforts by promoting the slogan #Chinaangvirus and spreading misinformation.
The clandestine operation began in the spring of 2020 and expanded beyond Southeast Asia to Central Asia and the Middle East, targeting local audiences with tailored messages. It included false claims about the safety of Chinese vaccines, even suggesting they were forbidden under Islamic law due to pork gelatin.
The campaign was ultimately terminated in mid-2021 after social media companies intervened. The Pentagon has acknowledged the programme, citing it as part of efforts to counteract disinformation from China.
Public health experts have criticised the US military’s actions, saying the campaign jeopardised safety for geopolitical gain. The disinformation effort risked undermining public trust in health authorities overall. There are now calls for a high-level investigation, with some officials and analysts condemning the campaign as crossing ethical lines.
Image credit: Towfiqu Barbhuiya
The irony is that by discouraging people to take any vaccine, the US Military could have actually saved lives.
Philippines has high excess deaths, js