CNN has been accused of “literally publishing Chinese propaganda” in an article that cites a news outlet which is controlled by the Chinese government.

The article published on Monday was initially titled “China's PLA Navy is controlling coronavirus and aircraft carrier's deployment proves it, report says” — with the report in question being the “state-run tabloid Global Times.”

3 CNN has been accused of 'literally publishing Chinese propaganda' after releasing an article that cites a state-run Chinese news outlet Credit: Getty - Contributor

CNN reported that the China People's Liberation Army (PLA) appeared to have a control on the spread of the coronavirus’ spread among a branch of its military.

According to Fox News, the article read: "A Chinese naval flotilla headed into the Pacific over the weekend, evidence that the People's Liberation Army Navy has done a much better job controlling coronavirus than the US Navy, according to a story posted on the PLA's English-language website.”

“The aircraft carrier Liaoning led the group, which included two guided-missile destroyers, two guided-missile frigates and an auxiliary ship, according to the report from state-run tabloid Global Times."

CNN then compared the outbreak in China’s Navy to that of the U.S. military, notably the USS Theodore Roosevelt — the commander of which was fired after sounding the alarm about an outbreak among sailors and crew.

3

The article was quickly criticized by lawmakers and others who accused CNN of simply publishing the work of Chinese propaganda.

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo, tweeted: Is @CNN actually publishing this #China Communist Party propoganda as news”

A contributing op-ed writer for The Washington Post, Isaac Stone Fish, said he was “horrified that CNN published this.”

“Its literally a Chinese propaganda story. "The People's Liberation Army Navy has done a much better job controlling coronavirus than the US Navy, according to a story posted on the PLA's English-language website."

I'm horrified that CNN published this. Its literally a Chinese propaganda story. "The People's Liberation Army Navy has done a much better job controlling coronavirus than the US Navy, according to a story posted on the PLA's English-language website." https://t.co/PScsaEDdKC — Isaac Stone Fish (@isaacstonefish) April 14, 2020

Fish continued: "I strongly object when people call CNN an "enemy" of the United States. They made a terrible editorial decision in publishing this article. But they also make some excellent editorial decisions, and they push to keep Trump accountable."

"Update: CNN improved the story, with the disingenuous editor's note — 'This story has been updated to include Pentagon reaction and recent developments in the Western Pacific.' What they meant to say is 'This story has been updated to not take Chinese propaganda at face value.'"

Update: CNN improved the story, with the disingenuous editor's note -- "This story has been updated to include Pentagon reaction and recent developments in the Western Pacific." What they meant to say is "This story has been updated to not take Chinese propaganda at face value" — Isaac Stone Fish (@isaacstonefish) April 15, 2020

As of Wednesday, the CNN headline had changed to “Chinese state media claims country's navy is not affected by coronavirus.”

The story also includes an editor’s note: “This story has been updated to include Pentagon reaction and recent developments in the Western Pacific.”

3 Pictured is Chinese President Xi Jinping Credit: AP:Associated Press

The U.S. intelligence community concluded that China — the epicenter of the world’s coronavirus outbreak — has intentionally made up its case and death numbers.

The White House was reportedly given an intel report last month that stated “China’s public reporting on cases and deaths is intentionally incomplete,” and two officials “said the report concludes that China’s numbers are fake.”

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As of Wednesday, China claimed to have just more than 83,000 cases with 3,300 deaths.

That’s significantly less than the U.S., which has reported more than 609,000, or Italy with 162,000, or Spain with 177,000.

In recent weeks, Wuhan has reported no new cases almost every day, a drop from the thousands it reported every day until mid-February, and the hundreds into early March.

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