In a weekly series for IranWire, Jianli Yang analyses Chinese disinformation around the origin of coronavirus and its handling to date, and other recent affairs.

It’s been exactly a month since the European Union hardened its position against Chinese disinformation, directly accusing the Chinese state of being a key culprit in a “huge wave” of false narratives online that undermined both public health initiatives and the health of democracies worldwide, since the outset of the coronavirus pandemic.

On Wednesday, June 10, plans were announced by the European Commission – the EU’s legislative arm – to tackle disinformation. The report accused “foreign actors and certain third countries, in particular Russia and China” of engaging in “targeted influence operations and disinformation campaigns” in the EU. “I strongly believe that a geopolitically strong EU can only materialise if we are assertive,” Vĕra Jourová, a European commission vice-president, told reporters on Wednesday. “I believe if we have evidence we should not shy away from naming and shaming.” [continue reading]