During the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak, the US military orchestrated a covert initiative aimed at counterbalancing China’s rising sway in the Philippines, a country severely impacted by the virus, as revealed by a Reuters investigation.

Disguised as Filipinos, fake social media profiles were used by the military to boost an anti-vaccine narrative, stating poor quality of masks, test kits, and the initial vaccine available in the Philippines—China’s Sinovac vaccine.

The covert effort was previously undisclosed and intended to foster skepticism about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines and other aid from China, as per the Reuters investigation.

The probe identified around 300 X (formerly Twitter) accounts matching descriptions given by ex-US military personnel. Most were created mid-2020, emphasizing the hashtag #Chinaangvirus, which means “China is the virus” in Tagalog.

One example tweet from July 2020 exclaimed, “COVID came from China and the VACCINE also came from China, don’t trust China!”—alongside an image of a syringe next to a Chinese flag and a rising infection chart. Another post declared, “From China – PPE, Face Mask, Vaccine: FAKE. But the Coronavirus is real.”

After inquiries from Reuters, X took down these accounts, identifying them as part of an organized bot campaign via activity patterns and internal data.

The clandestine campaign started in the spring of 2020 and expanded beyond Southeast Asia before its termination in mid-2021.

The Pentagon’s initiative extended to audiences in Central Asia and the Middle East, leveraging fake social accounts across various platforms to instill fear about China’s vaccines among Muslims, with claims that vaccines containing pork gelatin might be prohibited under Islamic law.

This secret programme initiated under former President Trump and continued into Biden’s term until social media leaders alerted the new administration, prompting a halt and internal review in Spring 2021.

Neither spokespeople for Trump nor Biden commented on this covert programme, according to Reuters.

An official from the Department of Defense confirmed the US military's covert propaganda efforts against China’s vaccine but did not provide specific details.

An official Pentagon representative stated that the military uses various platforms, including social media, to confront malign influence threats against the US, allies, and partners, and alleged that China initiated a disinformation campaign blaming the US for the COVID-19 spread.

‘Dismayed, disappointed, disillusioned’

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized in an email that the US has a history of manipulating social media and spreading false information.

A spokesperson from the Philippines Department of Health emphasized the need for an investigation concerning the Reuters findings.

Some US public health experts criticized the military programme, suggesting it endangered civilians for geopolitical reasons.

Daniel Lucey, an infectious disease expert at Dartmouth College’s Geisel School of Medicine, stated, “I don’t think it’s defensible” and expressed deep disappointment over the US government's actions.

The allegations against Chinese vaccines potentially undermined public trust in health initiatives, including later US-made vaccines, warned Lucey and fellow experts.

Despite the Chinese vaccines being less effective than those from Pfizer and Moderna, all were endorsed by the World Health Organization. Sinovac did not respond to comment requests.

Greg Treverton, a former US National Intelligence Council chairman, noted that the US should have focused on broad vaccine dissemination. He stated, “What the Pentagon did...crosses a line.”