Beijing is demanding international investigators be granted access to Fort Detrick in Maryland - even as it denies those same investigators access to the Wuhan Institute of Virology. It's a #US #Army #biological #warfare research facility positioned about 80km outside Washington. It's no stranger to conspiracy theories. China has engaged an army of trolls - from high-ranking diplomats to AI « bots » - to sell false claims that #Covid-19 is a United States' plot. It's the most obvious sign that an immense fight is being fought over the « hearts and minds » of a global audience. It's a propaganda battle between East & West. It's nothing new. But what's different now is the playing field has changed. Social media offers a spectacularly large audience all in one place - all susceptible to repetitive messaging, glitzy presentations and self-reaffirming tactics.
