China calls off its coronavirus disinformation campaign, while Russia allows malign actors to continue

The Chinese Communist Party quickly backed off a campaign to accuse the U.S. Army of manufacturing the coronavirus, say defense officials, but disinformation emanating from Russia continues.

“Disinformation comes in different forms,” said Chad Sbragia, deputy assistant secretary of defense for China, at a Pentagon briefing Friday. “The one that was of most concern to us in DoD lanes was the false accusation that COVID-19 began with the U.S. Army service member bringing that to China.”