Category China

Fact Check: Video doesn’t show migrants fleeing Russia after Putin citizenship offer | Reuters

Posts on social media shared the video suggesting migrants were fleeing so as not to be sent to the warfront. A post on social media platform X reads, "Putin threatened to send all illegal Chinese immigrants to the front lines in Ukraine. Airports saw a sudden rush of flights back to China." Screenshots from the video were also shared on Facebook. The video, however, can be traced back to at least Dec. 30, 2023, when it was posted on Douyin, the Chinese counterpart of TikTok, as showing people traveling from Russia for New Year. The same user says in the description of a different video of the same location that it shows Heihe river port in China.
Read MoreFact Check: Video doesn’t show migrants fleeing Russia after Putin citizenship offer | Reuters

No, Ukraine is not taking money from Hawai’i relief

In the wake of the devastating wildfires on Hawai’i in August 2023, viral posts falsely claimed that the US government would only provide $700 in aid each to affected households. In fact, the federal government responded quickly to the horrific disaster in Maui, conducting extensive rescue operations and providing aid far in excess of $700 per household.
Read MoreNo, Ukraine is not taking money from Hawai’i relief

Researchers: Disinformation campaign spread after wildfires slowed disaster response

A disinformation campaign that sprung up almost immediately after wildfires ravaged Maui was spread by China and Russia, researchers have concluded. And, they say, that campaign made the government’s response to the disaster even more difficult. From weather warfare to floating bodies on another island to thousands of missing children to a Maui land grab, experts say online posts about the wildfires might have started as genuine concern. But they also said China and Russia are now using artificial intelligence to amplify false messages and spread fear, division and distrust in government.
Read MoreResearchers: Disinformation campaign spread after wildfires slowed disaster response
EU to launch platform to fight Russian, Chinese disinformation

EU to launch platform to fight Russian, Chinese disinformation

The European Union will launch a new platform to counter disinformation campaigns by Russia and China amid growing worries, EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said today. A so-called Information Sharing and Analysis Center within the EU's foreign services —the European External Action Service (EEAS) — will seek to track information manipulation by foreign actors and coordinate with the 27 EU countries and the wider community of NGOs. "We need to understand how these disinformation campaigns are organized ... to identify the actors of the manipulation," said Borrell.
Read MoreEU to launch platform to fight Russian, Chinese disinformation
EU warns China on Ukraine disinformation and cyberattacks

EU warns China on Ukraine disinformation and cyberattacks

China should tread carefully when it comes to spreading disinformation and cyberattacks to help Russia in its invasion of Ukraine, European Union digital chief Věra Jourová said Monday. [...] “I have stated that we consider how China interacts with Russia's war against Ukraine to be a determining factor for EU-China relations going forward. This includes of course aspects relating to cybersecurity, and disinformation,” Jourová said in a statement to POLITICO after the EU-China High-Level Digital Dialogue.
Read MoreEU warns China on Ukraine disinformation and cyberattacks
Old Italian rally photo falsely shared as 'anti-war protest' in Ukraine in Sept 2023

Old Italian rally photo falsely shared as ‘anti-war protest’ in Ukraine in Sept 2023

A photo of people gathering in a square has been viewed tens of thousands of times alongside a false claim it shows an anti-war protest in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in September 2023. The photo in fact predates Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine; it was taken in Turin, Italy in November 2018 and shows a rally to support the construction of a controversial train line.
Read MoreOld Italian rally photo falsely shared as ‘anti-war protest’ in Ukraine in Sept 2023
This is the ‘America First’ case for supporting Ukraine

This is the ‘America First’ case for supporting Ukraine

The lesson of the 20th century is that putting “America First” requires us to project strength and deter our enemies from launching wars of aggression — so that U.S. troops to don’t have to fight and die in another global conflagration. The invasion in Ukraine was a failure of deterrence. Only by helping Ukraine win can we prevent further deterrence failures. If we help Ukraine prevail, we can rewrite the narrative of U.S. weakness; restore deterrence with China; strike a blow against the Sino-Russian alliance; decimate the Russian threat to Europe; increase burden-sharing with our allies; improve our military preparedness for other adversaries; stop a global nuclear arms race; dissuade other nuclear states from launching wars of aggression; and make World War III less likely. The “America First” conclusion: Helping Ukraine is a supreme national interest.
Read MoreThis is the ‘America First’ case for supporting Ukraine
The Top Myths about US Aid to Ukraine

The Top Myths about US Aid to Ukraine

As Congress debates additional support for Ukraine, the anti-Ukraine echo chamber will peddle myths and half-truths, including these four: Myth: Washington is writing Kyiv “blank checks” that Americans cannot afford. Myth: There is not enough oversight of US aid to Ukraine. Myth: America is exponentially the largest donor to Ukraine. Myth: Russia is a distraction. The US must focus on China.
Read MoreThe Top Myths about US Aid to Ukraine
Has China Initiated Zero Conflicts Since Founding of PRC?

Has China Initiated Zero Conflicts Since Founding of PRC?

False. As attested by a number of experts and published authors on modern Chinese history, the claim in Kim Dotcom's tweet that modern China has initiated zero conflicts is false. The People's Republic of China has started a number of conflicts, trained revolutionaries, and contributed to other conflicts in Asia. It appears that the "no conflicts" claim was made by Xi Jinping in 2021.
Read MoreHas China Initiated Zero Conflicts Since Founding of PRC?