European Union Blames China, Russia for Allegedly Spearheading Disinformation Campaigns

The effect of the coronavirus pandemic on countries all around the world speaks to the destructive potential of the infection. The European Union had released its most criticizing accusation of the Chinese nation in the spread of false information about the COVID-19 virus.

On Wednesday, the EU accused China had purposely focused on spreading false information and conducted campaigns to mislead the bloc of the coronavirus.

Foreign actors

According to The New York Times, the bloc's executive arm, the European Commission, blamed "foreign actors" as well as third world countries including Russia and China for allegedly spearheading the campaigns.

The commission had previously accused Russia of the issue but adding China into the conversation is a significant development.

European Union officials caved into Beijing's pressure which led to diminished criticisms of the country. The report documented the methods that the governments utilized in spreading the false information relating to the coronavirus.

China gained the resentment of French politicians in mid-April when its embassy website claimed, at the peak of Europe's coronavirus pandemic, that medical workers gave up their jobs, leaving residents to lose their lives to the virus.

An unnamed Chinese diplomat also alleged that 80 of France's lawmakers were racist against Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO).

A European commission vice-president, Vera Jourova, believes that if one has sufficient proof, then there should be no reservations in making accusations. She also noted that they had seen an increase of narratives that undermine the country's actions against the coronavirus.

Also Read: Trump Says US Will Move to Support Hong Kong: Withdraws From WHO

She cited how pro-Russian, Chinese officials, and state media have spread claims that former Soviet republics are hiding US biological laboratories as an example of the alleged disinformation, as reported by The Guardian.

Jourova noted that assertiveness is the only way that a geopolitically powerful EU can materialize which emphasizes Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission's aim of leading the body into a global position.

Fighting disinformation

In the European Union's new report, however, it demanded social media platforms be stricter with their fact-checking and promote authoritative content and fight back against false information. It also stated that it would strengthen its capabilities in ensuring disinformation does not spread and raise any alarms.

Josep Borrell, the bloc's foreign policy chief, said that disinformation is deadly, especially in times of crisis. "We have a duty to protect our citizens by making them aware of false information and expose the actors responsible for engaging in such practices," he added.

The alleged campaigns by China gave EU members a difficult time in deciding how to best respond. The commission branded China as its "systemic rival" in a report from 2019 that several member states saw as a method in how the EU responds to the increasingly threatening government of Beijing.

The commission also shared their thoughts on Trump's responses and suggestions on how to treat the coronavirus where they noted the harmful side effects of the US president's outrageous ideas which include injecting bleach into yourself to treat the coronavirus.