During the pandemic it was common for many Americans to discount or despise China’s policies. In fact, Chinese vaccines such as Coronavac/Sinovac were developed quickly and in large quantities and worked well. Chinese vaccines have saved millions of lives. The vaccine portfolio model produced by the AHT team, along with common sense, suggested the importance of having a diversified portfolio. That is why we recommended and I advocated that the inactive vaccine be included in the Operation Warp Speed mix or prevent that by making an advance agreement on the vaccine dose with China. At the time, I thought that China’s downgrading of vaccines was simply a matter of national pride or courage in a time of fear. But it turns out that even in other countries, the Pentagon has carried out a sterilization campaign against Chinese vaccines.
Reuters: At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the US military began a covert operation to combat what it sees as China’s growing influence in the Philippines, the country hardest hit by the deadly virus.
The undercover operation has not been previously reported. It was intended to sow doubts about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines and other life-saving aid provided by China, a Reuters investigation found. With fake online accounts designed to impersonate Filipinos, the military’s propaganda efforts have become an anti-vax campaign.
Integrating a propaganda campaign to local audiences across Central Asia and the Middle East, the Pentagon used a combination of fake social media accounts on multiple platforms to spread fear of Chinese vaccines among Muslims at a time when the virus was killing tens of thousands of people. each day. A key part of the strategy: raising the contentious argument that, because vaccines sometimes contain pork gelatin, Chinese shots can be considered forbidden under Islamic law.
…To launch the anti-vax campaign, the Defense Department overrode strong opposition from top US diplomats in Southeast Asia at the time, Reuters found. Sources involved in its planning and execution say the Pentagon, which ran the program through a military mental institution in Tampa, Florida, ignored the collateral impact this propaganda could have on innocent Filipinos.
“We were not looking at this from a public health perspective,” said a military officer involved in the program. “We were looking at how to drag China out of the mud.”
Honestly, this is sad. The Pentagon’s anti-vax campaign has undermined US credibility around the world and eroded trust in American institutions, and will complicate future public health efforts.
In addition, there was a better model. It is often forgotten but the eradication of smallpox from the world, one of humanity’s greatest miracles, was a global effort led by the United States and….the Soviet Union.
…even in a fierce battle for global influence, the Soviet Union and the United States were able to use their domestic and political interests and their mutual interest in using science and technology to promote human development and produce a wonderful society. health success.
We could have taken the same approach as China during the COVID crisis.
In general, we face global challenges, from pandemics to climate change to artificial intelligence. Addressing these challenges will require strategic international cooperation. This is not about ideas; it’s about escaping the prisoner’s dilemma. We cannot allow small groups with narrow agendas and stereotypes to undermine the cooperation that is vital to our interests and security in a connected world.
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