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Africa China Review Staff Writer
According to Zimbabwean daily newspaper the Herald, the US is engaged in payment for fake stories aimed at discrediting Chinese investments in Zimbabwe. “U.S. State Department is implement in “an intricate plan” to smear Chinese businesses in Zimbabwe “through disinformation, lies and sensationalism in the independent media and social platforms,” The Herald reported.
In an exclusive story published on September 21, 2021, it was revealed that the US is funding and training local reporters to write bad stories about China specifically discrediting Chinese investments. Each journalist who produces a fake story to discredit China is promised $ 1,000 per article, after being trained by the information for Development Trust, a self-proclaimed Zimbabwean independent investigative journalism center, with the funding being given by the US Embassy in Zimbabwethrough its proxy, according to The Herald.
With reference to a workshop held on September 14-15, bringing together an estimated 12 private media journalists, “were allocated regional/geographical areas of focus with emphasis on areas where Chinese businesses are involved,” such as mining, construction, energy, infrastructure, loans and environment,” the Herald wrote.
“One attendee at the workshop revealed that journalists involved in the workshop have already been given areas and topics to work on according to areas of interests as well as geographical areas,” the article said.The source revealed that they were told to portray Chinese companies as “causing harm to communities, environment and workers.” It is also said that, “U.S. embassy officials bragged during the workshop that they had … previously sponsored media institutions on the so-called accountability issues,” according to the article.
The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor of the U.S. State Department is believed to be the one behind implementing “an intricate plan” designed by Washington to smear Chinese businesses in Zimbabwe.
In an opinion published on Sept. 24, titled “Never Be Used against China by the United States,” The Herald called on “all right-thinking citizens” to condemn ill attempts to “smear the image of China and its investors in Zimbabwe,” pointing out that such schemes fully reflect the plotters’ “jealousy and chicanery.”
The editor-in Chief of the New Zimbabwe Inter-Africa News Agency, Rangarirai Shoko, said the U.S. attempt to stir up anti-China reports under the disguise of “supporting free press” is in fact aimed to smear Africa-China cooperation, but this will not shake the foundation of bilateral cooperation, nor change China’s influence in Africa, Shoko said.
“It is unfortunate that some sections of the media have accepted dirty money to go on this crusade to demonize Chinese companies who are providing employment, livelihoods and paying taxes for the benefit of the nation,” it said.
“Various false claims are made against Chinese companies and nationals without any attempt to validate them or to give audience to the supposed aggressors,” it said, adding that “Western countries want to perpetuate this racist and hateful behaviour in an effort to knock out China from its well-earned place in Zimbabwe.”
The Vice President of Zimbabwean ConstantinoChiwenga urged citizens not to be hoodwinked and misled by anti-China reports funded by U.S. money.”We get so many uninvited voices talking about the friendship between Zimbabwe and China, trying to destroy what has been achieved through the help from the People’s Republic of China,” said Chiwenga. He also pointed out that despite U.S. efforts to sway public opinion against China, such misinformation “is not going to destroy that comprehensive partnership between the two peoples.”
The vice president thanked China for its continuous support of Zimbabwe during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as providing the African country with COVID-19 vaccines. “Apart from the generous support in the health sector, we are indebted to the people of China for the support towards infrastructural development in all sectors of Zimbabwe’s economy,” the Vice presidentnoted.
