Switzerland embassy asks Chinese media to take away articles quoting a pretend Swiss scientist

The Swiss embassy in China on Tuesday ‘fact-checked’ the Chinese state-sponsored media retailers media for quoting a fictitious Swiss scientist of their information articles accusing the United States of politicising Covid-19 origin investigations.
According to the reviews, on 24 July, a Facebook put up by an account named Wilson Edwards had claimed to have gained info concerning efforts by the United States to politicise the World Health Organization’s Covid-19 investigations from inside.
Chinese State media retailers, together with the Global Times, the People’s Daily, had carried articles with feedback from “Wilson Edwards” on the origins of Covid-19 and the WHO’s independence.
Post by Chinese state-owned media People’s Daily ChinaThe alleged Swiss scientist Wilson Edwards had quoted unnamed WHO sources and “fellow researchers” to assert that they’ve been dealing with “enormous pressure and even intimidation from the US side as well as certain media outlets” to intrude within the WHO’s investigation on Covid-19 origin.
“The WHO sources told me the US is so obsessed with attacking China on the origin-tracing issue that it is reluctant to open its eyes to the data and findings,” the purported put up had claimed.
The so-called scientist had insinuated that the US authorities was making an attempt to reclaim its energy within the WHO after his predecessor Donald Trump had withdrawn US membership from the worldwide physique in April 2020, quickly after the Chinese pandemic started to trigger havoc worldwide.
“I have the impression that WHO’s new plans, which include lab audits, are largely politically motivated,” Wilson Edwards was quoted as writing on the social media platform.
Chinese media quotes pretend Swiss scientist, Swiss embassy fact-checks them
The Chines state media, together with the Global Times, the People’s Daily, promptly picked up the story to create a story that the United States has been making an attempt to intrude within the WHO’s investigation. The Chinese media carried the story headlined its story as “US attempts to overturn report, leveraging WHO into political tool” in a number of languages.
A couple of days later, these reviews caught the eye of the Swiss embassy, who dug up public information to seek out out that neither there was any such citizen nor any tutorial analysis was printed in that title.
In response to Chinese propaganda, on Tuesday, the Embassy of Switzerland in Beijing fact-checked the Chinese media retailers saying that the alleged Swiss biologist quoted by the Chinese media in current days didn’t exist in any respect.
“Looking for Wilson Edwards, alleged [Swiss] biologist, cited in press and social media in China over the last several days. If you exist, we would like to meet you!” it stated.
Looking for Wilson Edwards, alleged 🇨🇭 biologist, cited in press and social media in China over the past a number of days. If you exist, we wish to meet you! But it’s extra probably that this can be a pretend information, and we name on the Chinese press and netizens to take down the posts. pic.twitter.com/U6ku5EGibm— Embassy of Switzerland in Beijing (@SwissEmbChina) August 10, 2021
“While we appreciate the attention on our country, the Embassy of Switzerland must, unfortunately, inform the Chinese public that this news is false,” the Swiss embassy stated in a press release posted on Twitter.
In its clarification, the Swiss embassy added that the reviews usually tend to be “fake news” and requested the Chinese press and netizens to take down the posts.
Chinese media retailers take down pretend posts on Swiss scientist
Following the response from the Swiss embassy, Chinese state media retailers have begun to take away the precise articles it had printed by citing Swiss scientist Wilson Edwards.
Reportedly, the Facebook account of Wilson Edwards was created on the identical day it printed its solely put up claiming US interference within the WHO’s investigation. The profile had a photograph of a library at Oxford University and had simply three associates, which even have surprisingly disappeared on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the People’s Daily is but to delete its posts reside even after clarification from the Embassy of Switzerland in Beijing.