Virus Outbreak: Chinese issue fake apology for TaiwanMISDIRECTION: Chinese social media users posing as Taiwanese have taken responsibility for racist attacks that the WHO’s head claimed originated in TaiwanBy Jason Pan / Staff reporterChinese posing as Taiwanese have issued online apologies to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus for “personal attacks” and “racist abuse,” Taiwanese authorities said yesterday. Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau officials presented the findings at a media briefing to rebut accusations by Tedros, who on Wednesday accused Taiwan of engaging in personal attacks against him. Tedros said that he over the past three months received death threats and racist abuse, and claimed that it originated from Taiwan. A tweet by @RFXZ_China — a Twitter account purportedly of a Chinese media outlet — asks followers to use a message above in traditional Chinese as a template to apologize to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on behalf of Taiwanese. In addition to the messages, other evidence pointing to Chinese social media users include Internet protocol addresses traced to China, the use of simplified Chinese characters and phrasing that is different from that commonly used by Taiwanese, Chang said.

Source: Taipei Times April 10, 2020 16:00 UTC