EU accuses Russia and China of coronavirus ‘disinformation campaigns’

Allegation marks first time Brussels has pointed finger at Beijing

Ursula von der Leyen
Ursula von der Leyen has been European Commission president since 1 December 2019
(Image credit: (Sean Gallup/Getty Images))

The European Union (EU) has accused both Russia and China of being behind so-called “fake news” about the Covid-19 coronavirus.

The European Commission said in a statement that “foreign actors and certain third countries, in particular Russia and China” are engaging in “targeted influence operations and disinformation campaigns in the EU, its neighbourhood, and globally”.

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