Tuesday, February 18, 2025 | 01:39 AM ISTहिंदी में पढें
Business Standard
Notification Icon
userprofile IconSearch

Pressured by China, E.U. Softens Report on Covid-19 Disinformation

A revised report shows how Beijing reacts swiftly and effectively to tamp down Western criticism of its pandemic response.

China, flag,
Premium

The initial European Union report, obtained by The New York Times, was not particularly strident: a routine roundup of publicly available information and news reports | Photo: Shutterstock

Matt Apuzzo | NYT Brussels
Bowing to heavy pressure from Beijing, European Union officials softened their criticism of China this week in a report documenting how governments push disinformation about the coronavirus pandemic, according to documents, emails and interviews.

Worried about the repercussions, European officials first delayed and then rewrote the document in ways that diluted the focus on China, a vital trading partner — taking a very different approach than the confrontational stance adopted by the Trump administration.

The initial European Union report, obtained by The New York Times, was not particularly strident: a routine roundup of publicly available information and news reports.

It cited Beijing’s efforts

What you get on BS Premium?

  • Unlock 30+ premium stories daily hand-picked by our editors, across devices on browser and app.
  • Pick your 5 favourite companies, get a daily email with all news updates on them.
  • Full access to our intuitive epaper - clip, save, share articles from any device; newspaper archives from 2006.
  • Preferential invites to Business Standard events.
  • Curated newsletters on markets, personal finance, policy & politics, start-ups, technology, and more.
VIEW ALL FAQs

Need More Information - write to us at assist@bsmail.in