Chinese diplomats inspire conspiracy theories surrounding COVID-19 origin in Serbia
In late February 2020, Serbia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ivica Dacic visited China. Upon his return, he told Pink TV, a private broadcaster, “China is the second-largest economy in the world today, so it’s not out of the question that [the coronavirus crisis] is part of a special war against China.” On March 1, he told the Serbian public broadcaster that China was testing the virus and believed it had been manufactured and brought to China, implying that the outbreak in China which began the pandemic was an attack by a foreign power. The EEAS special report on COVID-19 Disinformation highlights a number of articles published by Chinese state-run media encouraging the spread of this conspiracy theory.

About This Incident

Threat Actors: China

Incident Metadata

Date: 28 February 2020 - 1 March 2020
Country: Serbia