Pentagon Ran Secret Anti-Vax Campaign Against China: Report

The Pentagon reportedly conducted a covert anti-vaccination campaign against China’s COVID-19 vaccine efforts in the Philippines during the pandemic peak, according to a recent Reuters investigation. This initiative, allegedly orchestrated from spring 2020 to summer 2021 under both the Trump and Biden administrations, aimed to sow doubt about the safety of Chinese vaccines abroad while the U.S. focused on its domestic vaccination efforts.

The operation allegedly involved over 300 fake social media accounts impersonating concerned Filipinos, criticizing China’s vaccine program, and using the hashtag “Chinaangvirus” (“China is the virus” in Tagalog). These accounts, which also complained about face masks, test kits, and the Sinovac vaccine, were removed from X (formerly Twitter) after Reuters inquired about them, with the platform identifying them as part of a coordinated bot campaign.

This effort reportedly extended beyond the Philippines to central Asia and the Middle East, where anti-vax posts suggested that the Sinovac shots should be prohibited under Islamic tradition due to potential pork gelatin content. The campaign continued until a Biden administration ban in 2021.

The U.S. began distributing Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in December 2020, urging Americans to get vaccinated. Meanwhile, China had already started its Sinovac vaccine rollout, becoming a key player in global vaccine distribution. This competition led to a “vaccine diplomacy race,” with some countries favoring Chinese, Russian, or Indian vaccines over U.S. offerings.

While the exact origins of the coronavirus remain unclear, China has faced scrutiny over the virus’s initial spread. Some theories suggest a lab leak, but concrete evidence is lacking. Tensions between the U.S. and China have also escalated over national security, trade, and military actions, underscoring the complexity of the relationship between the two nations.

Recent years have seen increasing tensions between China and the U.S., with incidents like the suspected Chinese spy balloon incident and concerns over TikTok’s parent company’s ties to Beijing adding to the strain. This backdrop of geopolitical friction adds a layer of complexity to the COVID-19 vaccine diplomacy and the broader U.S.-China relationship.