Information is as important as science, international cooperation and strong political leadership in the fight against COVID-19.
However, the media financed by the governments of China and Russia are disseminating unfounded claims, sowing uncertainty and mistrust in national and international institutions. According to the EUvsDisInfo website database the three main narratives of these disinformation campaigns are: (1) the US created the coronavirus, (2) the EU is not facing up to the crisis and is therefore disintegrating, and (3) the virus is being used as a weapon against China and its economy.
We analysed the motives and objectives of the Chinese and Russian governments in the use of the COVID-19 related disinformation campaigns, as well as, what the consequences for our democracies could be.
Participants:
- Alina Polyakova, President and CEO of CEPA (Washington DC). (@apolyakova)
- Ivana Karásková, China Research Fellow and a Project Coordinator at the Association for International Affairs (Czech Republic). (@ivana_karaskova)
- Mira Milosevich, Senior Analyst, Elcano Royal Institute. (@MiraMilosevich1)
Moderator: Charles Powell, Director, Elcano Royal Institute. (@CharlesTPowell)
Tuesday, 21 April 2020. 17:00 – 18:00h CET (UTC+2)
Check out our expert’s analysis in our special dossier Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19).