China's online influence operations in the Philippines. Yonhap News.

China has been conducting cyber influence operations in the Philippines, spreading "anti-US content" beyond pro-China propaganda, Reuters reported on the 6th.

Some suspected accounts on social media have been deleted, and the Chinese Foreign Ministry has denied the allegations.

According to the report, evidence has emerged suggesting that the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, through a local marketing firm called "InfinitUs," operated numerous fake accounts on social media platforms like Facebook to conduct influence operations, including discrediting Western vaccines and undermining the Philippines' claims in the South China Sea.

It is believed that InfinitUs went beyond simply operating a "comment troop" and attempted more organized online influence operations by creating and running the "Ni Hao Manila" channel, designed to appear as a local media outlet on social media.

This channel primarily posted content promoting China's naval military power and criticizing security cooperation between the US and the Philippines.

The influence operation was then expanded by having the fake accounts created by InfinitUs share these posts.

The Philippines is engaged in a maritime territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea, and China is increasing its naval presence in the area, pressuring Southeast Asian countries including the Philippines.

Documents intended for embassy reporting also revealed that InfinitUs accounts engaged in a barrage of critical comments targeting politicians who supported legislation to strengthen the Philippines' maritime claims.

This report follows allegations made by some Filipino politicians in April that the Chinese Embassy was spreading fake news and pro-China sentiment through InfinitUs.

Reuters stated that it had obtained internal documents from InfinitUs and interviewed two former employees of the company and two Filipino officials to understand the extent to which the influence operation went beyond pro-China messaging to include the goal of weakening the security alliance between the Philippines and the US.

Reuters also added that it tracked at least 10 fake social media accounts exhibiting abnormal patterns, such as repeatedly posting identical or similar phrases, to understand the organized nature of the influence operation.

For example, "Vince," one of the accounts believed to be operated by InfinitUs, regularly shared posts supporting the activities of the Chinese Coast Guard and posts from the Chinese Embassy. It also disseminated numerous articles praising China's Sinovac vaccine and portraying Western vaccines negatively.

However, Reuters noted that Vince did not seem interested in making the account appear genuine, as its profile picture was identical to a stock image of a "handsome Asian man."

Following notification from Reuters, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, announced that it had deleted accounts violating its policies, and TikTok explained that it had removed fake followers of the "Ni Hao Manila" channel.

A structured flow of financial support through the Chinese Embassy was also identified.

Reuters reported that the Association for Philippines-China Understanding (APCU) had been operating an award since 2021, offering prizes ranging from $850 (approximately 1.2 million Korean won) to $3,440 (approximately 4.85 million Korean won), primarily to individuals with pro-China leanings, and that these prizes were funded by the embassy.

Reuters added that the prize amounts were several times the average monthly salary in the Philippines.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry told Reuters that China does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries and denied the related allegations.

The Foreign Ministry asserted, "The allegations made by some Filipino politicians against China have failed and instead backfired."

InfinitUs and its owner, Paul Lee, did not respond to Reuters' inquiries.

Meanwhile, Reuters pointed out that cyber influence operations in the Philippines, which holds strategic importance for China due to its proximity to Taiwan, have been conducted not only by China but also by the United States.

Previously, Reuters reported last year that the US had engaged in online influence operations in the Philippines highlighting the risks of Chinese-made vaccines.

Yonhap News