4/22/20
BRUSSELS -- EU monitors have identified a “trilateral convergence of disinformation narratives” being promoted by China, Iran, and Russia on the coronavirus pandemic and say they are being “multiplied” in a coordinated manner, according to an internal document seen by RFE/RL. The document, which is dated 20 April, says common themes are that the coronavirus is a biological weapon created in the United States to bring down opponents and that China, Iran, and Russia “are doing much better than the West” in fighting the epidemic. It also states that Iranian leaders -- amplified by Russian media -- continue calling for the lifting of U.S. sanctions against Iran, claiming that they are undermining the country’s humanitarian and medical response to COVID-19. The document says this is part of a wider Russian, Iranian, and Chinese “convergence” calling for a lifting of sanctions on Russia, Iran, Syria, and Venezuela -- all countries that have seen U.S. economic sanctions against them.
The 25-page document was written by the strategic communications division of the European diplomatic corps, the European External Action Service (EEAS). It is a follow-up to an April report stating that Russia and China are deploying a campaign of disinformation around the coronavirus pandemic that could have "harmful consequences" for public health around the world. The new report says Russia and to a lesser extent China continue to amplify “conspiracy narratives” aimed at both public audiences in the EU and the wider neighborhood. The document also states that most of the content identified by the EEAS continues to proliferate widely on social-media services such as Twitter and Facebook. Representatives of those companies did not immediately respond to RFE/RL's request for comment.
