Despite the dubious nature of the theory, Russian primetime media has given the story oxygen, with a main channel even devoting an entire section to coronavirus conspiracy theories on a popular evening news show. A main channel on Russian TV, Channel One, has used ambiguous reporting to ultimately refute the theories, but also hinting that they may hold a degree of truth, the BBC reports.
The show invited an ‘expert’ on to suggest that the coronavirus is an artificial disease conjured by scientists in the US in an attempt to hit China’s economy amid trade war talks between Beijing and Washington.
Typical of the reports, the expert notes that there is evidence to debunk the theory, but also left a provocative remark when concluding his argument.
He said: “Even experts who are cautious in their assessments say that nothing can be ruled out.”
The host even quoted online misinformation, claiming that the illness is an “ethnic bioweapon”.
Throughout the coverage of the pandemic on Russia’s Channel One, claims of US pharmaceutical companies and other institutions in the country are either the architects of the virus, or spreading propaganda to increase fears.
This has included references to Beijing’s economy, which has suffered as a result of the virus’ rapid spread.
President Xi Jinping to halved tariffs on 1,717 US goods, and could even seek a disaster-related clause in the China-US trade deal.
China has agreed to the tariff slash during “phase-one” trade deal talks, but many experts have suggested that the move has likely been made to help deal with economic turmoil as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
The removal of tariffs was originally scheduled to take place on February 14, boosting sales on products that form part of the nearly £60billion worth of goods, including soya beans and crude oil.
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Hong Kong has imposed quarantine rules on travellers from mainland China, and 3700 people remain stranded on a cruise ship near the Japanese city of Yokohama.
Chinese vice premier Sun Chunlan – who is leading the national campaign against the coronavirus – declared Wuhan and the rest of the country faces “wartime conditions”.
She told the Times: “There must be no deserters, or they will be nailed to the pillar of historical shame forever.”