明码标价抹黑中国，美国对华下黑手被曝光

来源：新华社

10/15/2021

据新华社15日消息，津巴布韦媒体近日称，美国政府通过其驻津使馆资助相关机构举办研讨会等形式，以每篇文章1000美元（约6438元）的代价收买私营媒体记者，指使其发表有关在津中资企业投资的负面报道。事件曝光后，津巴布韦官员、媒体和民众纷纷对美方的卑鄙伎俩予以强烈谴责，同时发声力挺中津合作，强调中津、中非友谊坚不可摧，任何势力都无法撼动。

明码标价抹黑中国

津巴布韦第一大报《先驱报》9月21日报道说，9月14日至15日，一个名为“信息促进发展信托基金”的机构邀请津巴布韦和周边国家的12名私营媒体记者参加研讨会。会议期间，该机构对这些记者进行培训，并要求他们瞄准采矿业、建筑业、能源业、基础设施建设等中资企业涉足较多的领域，重点关注中资企业的“问题”，如违反劳动法、破坏环境、与当地人冲突等议题，并予以报道。该活动得到美国驻津使馆赞助。

参加研讨会的一名记者向《先驱报》透露，与会记者根据各自专业领域和所在区域分配了“工作主题”，“下一阶段的任务”是发表涉华负面新闻。文章发表后，记者将通过代理机构从美国驻津使馆获得报酬，每篇1000美元（约6438元）。

该记者回忆，美国驻津使馆官员在研讨会上说，美国驻津使馆将把资源向“重要的人”倾斜，使其专注于资源、劳工等中资企业“问题”较多的领域，并为其提供“正确的工具”。

报道说，消息人士透露，上述研讨会是美国对华舆论战略的组成部分，由美国国务院民主、人权和劳工事务局部署。该战略旨在通过放大中资企业在津投资生产中的“问题”，强化中国在津巴布韦舆论场上的负面形象、影响中津合作和中国在津投资。

报道还指出，欧盟和一些北欧国家驻津机构也赞助过类似的研讨会。

津官员、媒体和民众发声批驳

报道发出后，津巴布韦官员、媒体和民众纷纷发声，力挺中津合作，强调中津、中非友谊有着深厚基础，任何势力都无法撼动。

津副总统兼卫生部长奇温加表示，自津巴布韦出现疫情以来，中方慷慨相助，源源不断向津提供技术和物资支持。在中方帮助下，津巴布韦已为全国300多万人口接种至少一剂疫苗，接种率名列非洲大陆第七位。中国不仅坚定支持津巴布韦，而且主动帮助世界上其他发展中国家抗击疫情。相反，某些发达国家无视疫苗全球分配不均，囤积疫苗只求自保。

9月26日，津巴布韦副总统兼卫生部长奇温加在中国援助第四批新冠疫苗的接收仪式上致辞。来源：新华社

奇温加强调，津巴布韦永远不会忘记，面对西方国家非法制裁造成的巨大经济困境，只有中国给我们雪中送炭。津巴布韦人民有能力管好自己的事，清楚知道未来的发展方向。津中友谊必将历久弥新，任何势力都无法撼动，津巴布韦发展津中友好的坚定立场不会改变。

津主流媒体也仗义执言。《先驱报》发表评论文章《不作美国反华棋子》，警示津记者和民众勿被蒙蔽和利用。

文章指出，中津友好交往源远流长。中国对津、对非合作从不附加任何政治经济条件，不威胁他国以资源为抵押或交换，不搞机会主义投资，是津真正的“全天候朋友”。遗憾的是，美国恐惧来自中国的竞争，如同校园恶霸一样肆意妄为，收买写手捏造谎言，煽动种族主义和仇恨情绪，企图破坏中资企业在津发展势头，彻底迷失道德方向，失去发展中国家尊重。

文章认为，公平正义没有价格标签，公平正义不需要用金钱收买。津人民应该擦亮双眼，分清敌友，警惕被美国利用成为反华棋子。中国是进步的力量，坚定发展津中友谊与合作，是津巴布韦走向光明未来的正道。

有网友在美驻津使馆推特账号下留言说，美国对当地媒体的所谓培训是“为中央情报局找线人”；还有网友认为，美国如果是出于真心，应该为津巴布韦提供工程技术培训，而不是出资灌输和宣传美国的“恐怖主义新闻学”。

专家：卑鄙伎俩无损中津中非友好大局

相关人士分析认为，美驻津使馆出资支持涉华负面报道，是美政府在全球全面遏制中国的缩影。特朗普担任美国总统时期，美国不太重视非洲。现任美国总统拜登上台后，美国重新审视非洲对中国外交的支撑作用，加强了在非洲各国尤其是对华友好国家的战略举措，旨在削弱中非合作，同时抹黑中国政府、中国企业和中国人形象，刺激非洲民众对中国产生负面情绪。但由于中非交往频繁、友谊深厚、共同利益多，美国的企图很难撼动中非友好大局。

津《先驱报》文献中心主任、原国际版主编滕代伊·曼赞维凯介绍说，津巴布韦官方媒体对华态度非常友好，但一些私营媒体负责人怀有意识形态偏见，又得到欧美国家支持，因此制造涉华负面报道。个别无良媒体甚至捏造事实，设计“中企在津破坏环境、违反劳工法”等议题，以获得“金主”资助。上述媒体往往公信力不足，在津民众当中认可度不高。曼赞维凯认为，津巴布韦和非洲民众是中津、中非合作的受益者，其看法绝不会被几篇负面报道所轻易改变。

新津巴布韦全非通讯社总编辑兰戈利莱·肖克说，他曾被美国的“新闻自由”等论调所迷惑，但后来发现，美国向津巴布韦等国输出“新闻自由”让这些国家政局不稳、陷入动荡。与之相比，中国以不干涉对方内政为前提与津巴布韦等非洲国家开展合作。近年来，随着中非合作蹄疾步稳地推进，美国感到自身在非洲的存在感越来越低。在这种情况下，美政府花些小钱，以“支持新闻自由”为幌子资助涉华负面报道，就成了抹黑中非合作“性价比”最高的方式之一。但这种卑鄙伎俩，动摇不了中非合作基本面，也改变不了中国在非洲影响力远超美国的现实。

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US$1,000 per fake news report — US plot to discredit Chinese investments exposed by Zimbabwean daily

Xinhua

10/15/2021

Zimbabwean Vice President Constantino Chiwenga speaks during a handover ceremony of China-donated vaccines at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Sept. 26, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua]

The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor of the U.S. State Department is implementing “an intricate plan” designed by Washington to smear Chinese businesses in Zimbabwe “through disinformation, lies and sensationalism in the independent media and social platforms.”

That is a plot exposed in an article published on Sept. 21 by Zimbabwe’s largest daily newspaper The Herald, which revealed that the United States is funding and training local reporters to write anti-China stories and discredit Chinese investments.

Following the shocking exposure, Zimbabwean officials, media outlets and citizens have joined in a chorus of condemnation of the sinister move by the United States, and voiced support for ties between Zimbabwe and China.

U.S. funding for anti-China reports

In the article, The Herald said it received exclusive details indicating that “private media journalists were being trained by the Information for Development Trust,” a self-proclaimed Zimbabwean independent investigative journalism center, with funding from the U.S. Embassy in Zimbabwe.

Noting that a workshop drawing about a dozen private media journalists was held on Sept. 14-15, the article said the journalists “were allocated regional/geographical areas of focus with emphasis on areas where Chinese businesses are involved,” such as mining, construction, energy, infrastructure, loans and environment.

They were told to portray Chinese companies as “causing harm to communities, environment and workers,” the article noted.

“One attendee at the workshop revealed that journalists involved in the workshop have already been given areas and topics to work on according to areas of interests as well as geographical areas,” it said.

The next phase, according to the revelation, is producing content and publishing stories in various media outlets, with journalists receiving payment of 1,000 U.S. dollars per story from the U.S. embassy through its proxy.

“U.S. embassy officials bragged during the workshop that they had … previously sponsored media institutions on the so-called accountability issues,” the article said.

It noted that they also funded some journalists that are now strategically positioned within the independent media, and have been “availing resources to ‘people that matter’ to focus on resource governance and labor issues and providing the ‘right instruments.'”

Besides the U.S. plot, the European Union and some Nordic countries are also sponsoring similar workshops, it added.

Saying no to “dirty money”

In an opinion published on Sept. 24, titled “Never Be Used against China by the United States,” The Herald called on “all right-thinking citizens” to condemn ill attempts to “smear the image of China and its investors in Zimbabwe,” pointing out that such schemes fully reflect the plotters’ “jealousy and chicanery.”

“It is unfortunate that some sections of the media have accepted dirty money to go on this crusade to demonize Chinese companies who are providing employment, livelihoods and paying taxes for the benefit of the nation,” it said.

“Various false claims are made against Chinese companies and nationals without any attempt to validate them or to give audience to the supposed aggressors,” it said, adding that “Western countries want to perpetuate this racist and hateful behaviour in an effort to knock out China from its well-earned place in Zimbabwe.”

“Unlike the boastful U.S., though, China is not interested in dominating the world and would rather belong to a global commonwealth of shared values,” it said.

Zimbabwean Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has also urged citizens not to be hoodwinked and misled by anti-China reports funded by U.S. money.

“We get so many uninvited voices talking about the friendship between Zimbabwe and China, trying to destroy what has been achieved through the help from the People’s Republic of China,” said Chiwenga.

Rangarirai Shoko, editor-in-chief of the New Zimbabwe Inter-Africa News Agency, said the U.S. attempt to stir up anti-China reports under the disguise of “supporting free press” is in fact aimed to smear Africa-China cooperation.

Yet it will not shake the foundation of bilateral cooperation, nor change China’s influence in Africa, Shoko said.

The U.S. plot has also been criticized by social media users. For example, a netizen called NewDispensation pointed out in a tweet to the U.S. embassy that if it truly hopes to help Zimbabwe achieve development, it would have offered engineering and technology courses to the country.

“Terrorism journalism is all you want to teach people and spread your propaganda to them,” read the tweet.

“Quiet deeds shout far”

Many Zimbabweans firmly believe that the cooperation and friendship between Zimbabwe and China, as well as between Africa and China, will not be undermined by the United States.

Noting that “China’s cooperation with Africa and Zimbabwe never attaches political or economic strings,” the opinion by The Herald described China as “a friend and role model.”

“The future of Zimbabwe lies with progressive forces such as China … Zimbabwe is in a good space, to be a friend of China,” it added.

Meanwhile, Chiwenga has pointed out that despite U.S. efforts to sway public opinion against China, such misinformation “is not going to destroy that comprehensive partnership between the two peoples.”

The vice president thanked China for its continuous support of Zimbabwe during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as providing the African country with COVID-19 vaccines.

“Apart from the generous support in the health sector, we are indebted to the people of China for the support towards infrastructural development in all sectors of Zimbabwe’s economy,” he said.

Through Chinese investments, the infrastructure projects in Zimbabwe, either underway or completed, have resulted in higher living standards for many, he said.

George Charamba, press secretary in the Office of the President of Zimbabwe, has also spoken highly of the “profound contributions” of the Chinese people to Zimbabwe’s development.

He said the two countries cherished their comprehensive partnership. “Quiet deeds shout far,” Charamba said.

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