China’s C19 Vaccine Propaganda Campaign: “Who’s Helping Countries in Africa, Asia, The Caribbean, Asia?”

January 25, 2021

Chinese state media outlets are ramping up a propaganda campaign against so-called “vaccine nationalism” and findings that Chinese-made vaccines are much less effective than those made in the U.S. and Europe (which is actually the case).

The effort started in earnest after Brazillian authorities found in mid-January that China’s Sinovac vaccine was just 50.4% effective, barely passing the minimum requirement to be approved for use. Since then, state media outlets like CGTN, Xinhua and Global Times have gone on the offensive by questioning the efficacy of vaccines made by Pfizer, accusing Western countries of unfairly hoarding vaccines and, most recently, suggesting that China, not the West, is the only country concerned about vaccine access in poor, developing countries.

Propaganda Decoder: Breaking Down What Chinese Media Outlets Really Mean

“IF HELPING PEOPLE IN NEED (IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES) IS A CRIME, THEN CHINA IS INDEED GUILTY”: This idea that China is the protector of poor countries against “rich Western nations” runs deep in modern Chinese history. It’s not surprising then that CGTN would draw heavily on the notion that China, as a fellow developing country, is standing up for other developing countries against wealthier powers like the U.S. and Europe. (CGTN)

“WESTERN MEDIA MAKING COVID-19 AN INVISIBLE POLITICAL ISSUE”: When Chinese state media says “Western media,” it’s usually shorthand for news outfits from the U.S. and UK (also Australia depending on the issue). Basically, every time China faces (even relatively minor) international criticism, it generates a reflexive “Western media is to blame” response. This also taps into a deep narrative of historical victimization by the U.S. and Europe, which underlies the perception that China is being treated unfairly by Western media. (GLOBAL TIMES)

VACCINE ACCESS AS A HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE: Human rights is one of the latest themes to emerge in China’s rebuttals to Western critics. Global Times accused Canada, the U.S., and European countries of hoarding vaccines to such an extent that they’re depriving millions of people in developing countries from getting inoculated. Global Times says this works like a “magic mirror to show which countries really care about human rights.” Vaccines are now the latest issue that China uses to challenge international human rights norms. (GLOBAL TIMES)

The post China’s C19 Vaccine Propaganda Campaign: “Who’s Helping Countries in Africa, Asia, The Caribbean, Asia?” appeared first on The China Africa Project.

source https://chinaafricaproject.com/2021/01/25/chinas-c19-vaccine-propaganda-campaign-whos-helping-countries-in-africa-asia-the-caribbean-asia/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=chinas-c19-vaccine-propaganda-campaign-whos-helping-countries-in-africa-asia-the-caribbean-asia

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Rajpriya Gautam