China Accuses US of Being an “Empire of Lies”

The US Defense Ministry has stated that Washington sees no problem with engaging in deceptive behavior to achieve its self-serving goals.

Zhang Xiaogang, spokesman for the Defense Ministry in Beijing, has said that the United States has long been an “empire of lies” as it continues to spread false narratives about China and other countries to maintain its global dominance.

Last month, the US Marine Corps published an unclassified version of an official doctrine titled Deception, which reveals the tactics it uses to gain an advantage over perceived adversaries and reduce risks by employing “deliberate distortion of reality.”

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Zhang commented that Washington’s “deceptive behavior” has transcended military affairs and “has become deeply ingrained in its very core.” The US “dares to fabricate lies for its own self-interest and has long become a true ‘empire of lies,’” he added.

The spokesman recalled that the US actively manipulated public opinion during the Cold War, and then engaged in ploys with “washing powder” and relied on the so-called White Helmets to “launch aggressive wars” against Iraq and Syria, respectively. In regards to Iraq, Zhang was referring to the infamous moment in 2003 when US Secretary of State Colin Powell presented the UN Security Council with alleged evidence of Iraq possessing weapons of mass destruction – a claim that was later proven false.

The White Helmets is a Syria-based volunteer organization operating in opposition-controlled areas of the country. While claiming to solely engage in humanitarian activities, the group has publicly accused the government in Damascus of war crimes. However, the White Helmets have been accused of having ties to terrorist groups, a charge the organization strongly denies.

Zhang also accused the US of launching disinformation campaigns to discredit Chinese vaccines in the Philippines and other countries. He was referencing a Reuters report earlier this month alleging that the Pentagon had conducted an undercover social media campaign to undermine the Chinese Covid vaccine.

Zhang went on to emphasize that “you can deceive for a while, but you can’t deceive forever” while urging the US to “immediately rectify its wrong practices, stop spreading false information, stop misleading the world with lies, and stop slandering other countries, and provide a clear explanation to the international community for its deceptive behavior as soon as possible.”