China urges U.S. media to stop spreading disinformation against China

BEIJING, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Monday urged relevant U.S. media to be truthful, objective and neutral in its reporting and stop spreading disinformation against China.

Spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks at a daily news briefing in response to query about a recent The New York Times article claiming that China used artificial intelligence technology to generate disinformation about the wildfires in Hawaii, saying the disaster was a result of a secrete "weather weapon" tested by the United States, and spread the false posts across the internet.

Mao said that the report is not factual at all, adding that the theory about "weather weapon" came from U.S. media first, and some Chinese media outlets and we-media accounts just cited or re-posted those reports.

"To say they 'made up or spread disinformation' is completely unfounded," Mao said. "If anyone was 'making up or spreading disinformation', it would be The New York Times, not them."

Noting that the Chinese and American people have never stood idly by in the face of natural disasters, Mao said that during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. businesses and people actively donated money and materials to help the Chinese people.

Later on, as the pandemic spread in the United States, Chinese local groups and the public immediately raised materials and sent them all the way across the ocean to over 20 U.S. states and cities, which was highly appreciated by people in the country, Mao said.

After the devastating wildfires broke out in Hawaii, China immediately extended sympathies and expressed readiness to provide help as needed, she added.

"These are the true stories about sub-national and people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States," Mao said.

"We urge relevant U.S. media outlet to be truthful, objective and neutral in its reporting, and stop spreading disinformation against China," she added.