Breaking Ranks
The long-established Filipino Chinese newspaper Chinese Commercial News (菲律賓商報) devoted substantial coverage in its October 7 print edition to a Reuters investigation published on Monday alleging China hired a Manila-based marketing company to conduct information operations in the Philippines. The report detailed how InfinitUs Marketing Solutions allegedly used fake social media accounts to undermine support for President Marcos’s pro-U.S. policies and weaken the Philippines-U.S. security alliance. The newspaper’s prominent treatment of the story is notable given that it is generally seen as China-leaning and lists the Chinese embassy, China News Service, and other official Chinese media as “friendly links” on its website.
