During the pandemic, it was common for many Americans to overlook, even disparage, Chinese vaccines. In fact, Chinese vaccines like Coronavac/Sinovac were produced quickly and in large quantities and they were effective. Chinese vaccines saved millions of lives. The vaccine portfolio model that the AHT team produced, along with common sense, suggested the importance of having a diversified portfolio. This is why we recommended and I recommended for including a deactivated vaccine in the Operation Warp Speed mix or banning it for having a prior agreement on vaccine capacity with China. At the time, I thought Chinese vaccine bashing was simply a matter of national pride or bravado in a time of fear. But it turns out that in other countries, the Pentagon led a disinformation campaign against Chinese vaccines.
Reuters: At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. military launched a covert campaign to counter what it perceived as China’s growing influence in the Philippines, a country particularly hard hit by the deadly virus.
The clandestine operation has not been previously reported. It aimed to sow doubt about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines and other life-saving aid provided by China, according to a Reuters investigation. Using fake internet accounts designed to impersonate Filipinos, the military’s propaganda efforts have transformed into an anti-vax campaign.
…Tailoring its propaganda campaign to local audiences in Central Asia and the Middle East, the Pentagon used a combination of fake social media accounts across multiple platforms to spread fear of Chinese vaccines among Muslims at a time when the virus killed tens of thousands of people. each day. A key part of the strategy: amplifying the controversial claim that because vaccines sometimes contain pork gelatin, the Chinese shots could be considered prohibited under Islamic law.
…To implement the anti-vax campaign, the Defense Department ignored strong objections from top U.S. diplomats in Southeast Asia at the time, Reuters found. Sources involved in its planning and execution say the Pentagon, which managed the program through the Army’s psychological operations center in Tampa, Fla., failed to consider the collateral impact that such propaganda could have on innocent Filipinos.
“We’re not looking at this from a public health perspective,” said a senior military officer involved in the program. “We were looking for how to drag China out of the mud. »
Frankly, it’s sickening. The Pentagon’s anti-vax campaign has undermined U.S. credibility on the global stage and eroded trust in U.S. institutions, which will complicate future public health efforts. US intelligence agencies should be banned to interfere with public health or use it as a front.
Besides, there was a better model. It is often forgotten, but the elimination of smallpox from the planet, one of humanity’s greatest achievements, was a global effort led by the United States and…the Soviet Union.
…Even engaged in a bitter battle for influence across the globe, the Soviet Union and the United States managed to exploit their national and geopolitical interests and their mutual interest in using science and technology to advance development human and produce a remarkable audience. health success.
We could have taken a similar approach with China during the COVID pandemic.
More broadly, we face global challenges, from pandemics to climate change to artificial intelligence. Meeting these challenges will require strategic international cooperation. This is not about idealism; it’s about escaping the prisoner’s dilemma. We cannot let small groups with narrow agendas and parochial visions undermine the collaborations essential to our interests and security in an interconnected world.
