China accuses US of spreading disinformation in response to State Department report

The Chinese ministry asserted that the US report itself is a form of disinformation and criticized the department responsible for the report for engaging in propaganda under the guise of ‘global engagement.’
American and Chinese flags, diplomatic crisis concept

In a diplomatic tit-for-tat, China has strongly rejected a recent report by the US State Department, which accused the Chinese government of intensifying disinformation campaigns. In response, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs referred to the US as an ’empire of lies’. It argued that the US attempts to portray other nations as sources of disinformation while engaging in its disinformation campaigns.

The US report, issued by the Global Engagement Center, claimed that China dedicates substantial resources annually to manipulate foreign information and highlighted Xi Jinping’s role in shaping the global information landscape. It also expressed concerns about China’s significant military competition and influence in disinformation.

Why does it matter?

The diplomatic clash between the United States and China concerning allegations of disinformation campaigns involves a broader geopolitical dispute with a strong focus on technological aspects. Only last week, while the US State Department released its report, China accused the United States of infiltrating Huawei Technologies Co.’s servers in a cyberespionage campaign. As export restrictions on chips and banning foreign devices and applications persist, the Sino-American relationship seems far from finding stability, with potential consequences for the global community.