‘Dirty Tricks’: Rick Scott, Chinese press squabble over vaccine research

A participant in a COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine trial receives an injection in Kansas City, Missouri. This early safety study, called a Phase 1 trial, is using a vaccine candidate developed by Inovio Pharmaceuticals. Image via AP.

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott‘s assertions that the Chinese Communist Party would not share a COVID-19 vaccine with the world earned a response from Beijing Monday.

The Global Times, a house organ of the Chinese Communist Party, fired back at the Republican Senator in an article entitled “Anti-China US lawmakers making excuses on vaccine development.”

Scott, according to the Beijing outlet, “has repeatedly spread rumors and told lies to defame China. He shocked many people last month when he said every single Chinese citizen is a ‘Communist spy.’ Now, he’s playing dirty tricks again.”

Regarding the claim itself, the Chinese say “Scott refused to offer evidence of his claim, although he was pressed by the host on the issue twice. He said he can’t share all intelligence he sees. If there is real evidence, why can’t he make it public? The US claims to have evidence of many smears against China, but never provided any. It’s obvious Scott’s new accusation is nothing but a lie to deceive Americans.”

“Ugly politicians like Scott have become the source of rumors and lies about China. It seems they would like to make false accusations against China as long as they can fool Americans, even if only a small group of voters, to gain votes,” the argument continues.

Scott, for his part, is unbowed.

“Communist China & its propaganda outlets like the Global Times are working overtime to try to hide their #Coronavirus failures & their efforts to steal or sabotage vaccine research. The world is wising up to China’s role as an adversary to freedom-loving people around the world,” the Senator tweeted Monday.

The Senator has gotten a global audience for his claims that China would not be a good global citizen with a COVID-19 vaccine.

“We have got to get this vaccine done. Unfortunately we have evidence that communist China is trying to sabotage us or slow it down,” Scott said Sunday, on the BBC network.