How the US uses the conflict to smear China

Stories about China considering providing "lethal support" to Russia dominated Western media headlines on Feb 19. But China Daily's Media Unlocked team has found that Western media rely on anonymous sources, echo chambers and double standards to make unsubstantiated claims to smear China.

At least 46 stories on the topic appeared on Feb 19, repeating the claim from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken without providing evidence. The number almost doubled from the previous day.

On the same day at the annual Munich Security Conference, US Vice-President Kamala Harris warned China against supporting Russia. Parroting the same talking points, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN, said in an interview that China would "cross a red line" if it provided military support to Russia. The media reported the same claim by different people without providing evidence.