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HEALTH-VIRUS-EU-CHINA
EU denies softening disinfo report under China pressure
BRUSSELS, April 27, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – The EU on Monday denied bowing to
Chinese pressure to water down a report on coronavirus disinformation to
soften criticism of Beijing.
The New York Times said that, under pressure from Beijing officials, the
EU had delayed publication of a regular report on disinformation trends last
week, and toned down the final version. A spokesman for the EU’s diplomatic
service, Peter Stano, insisted no changes had been made as a result of
outside influence.
“I absolutely refute and dispute any indications or claims that in our
reporting we are bowing to any kind of external pressure,” he told a regular
media briefing in Brussels.
The New York Times said an early version of the report referred to China
running “a global disinformation campaign to deflect blame for the outbreak
of the pandemic and improve its international image”.
In another report, The Financial Times said China complained three times
to the EU about the text, including to the bloc’s ambassador in Beijing,
Nicolas Chapuis.
The final published version does not refer to a “global disinformation
campaign” though it does mention “a coordinated push by official Chinese
sources” including state media to deflect blame for the pandemic.
It also details evidence of what it calls “covert Chinese operations” on
social media.
Stano said that what the New York Times called an “initial” version of the
report published on Friday was in fact a separate document intended only for
internal use within the EU.
But the incident has triggered alarm in Brussels and the largest political
bloc in the European Parliament, the European People’s Party (EPP), has
demanded an explanation from EU diplomatic chief Josep Borrell.
“We are revolted by the reports revealing that the European External
Action Service bowed under Chinese pressure and modified its findings about
the Chinese disinformation campaign on COVID-19,” the EPP’s Sandra Kalniete
said.
“It would be totally unacceptable if the EEAS, charged with providing the
EU public with full and unbiased information and to defend Europe in this
disinformation campaign, proved to be ready to backtrack on its findings and
fall victim itself to foreign propaganda.”
In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang denied any Chinese
involvement in disinformation.
“Spreading false information and mutual accusations in the current
circumstances won’t help with the international cooperation in fighting the
COVID-19,” Geng said.
BSS/AFP/MRU/2050hrs