In a strong rebuke, China's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday criticized U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken for his remarks at the third \"Summit for Democracy.\" Blinken accused China of manipulating the global information environment, a claim Beijing vehemently denied.
The Summit for Democracy, held virtually by South Korea from March 18-20, was intended to promote \"democracy against authoritarianism.\" However, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian dismissed the narrative, labeling both the summit and the accusations against China as false and misleading.
Lin Jian argued that the United States is the primary source of global misinformation, highlighting that while China's economy continues to stabilize and grow, the U.S. is promoting negative theories about China's economic prospects. He pointed to initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative, asserting that it has brought benefits worldwide, in contrast to U.S. narratives of a \"debt trap.\"
The spokesperson also addressed concerns raised by the U.S. regarding policies in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, calling the U.S. labeling of these measures as \"forced labor\" and \"genocide\" unfounded. He further claimed that U.S. officials have acknowledged their efforts to undermine China's reputation through covert operations, positioning these actions as part of a broader cognitive warfare strategy.
\"Ultimately, lies and conspiracies will only backfire,\" Lin Jian stated, emphasizing that the U.S.'s reliance on fabricating rumors and spreading disinformation is eroding its credibility on the international stage.
Reference(s):
China slams U.S.' Blinken for accusing it of 'distorting information'
cgtn.com
