Chinese state media has accused US President Donald Trump of falsely attributing ocean pollution to China by sharing misleading images on social media, reflecting dim prospects for an improvement in ties between the two countries.
The Paper, a digital newspaper run by state-owned Shanghai United Media Group, said on the weekend that three photos posted by Trump online were either digitally altered or outdated – and none were taken in China.
The report, headlined “Fact Check: Trump Blames China for Pacific Ocean Pollution Using Doctored Images”, was shared on Chinese social media, including by state-owned People’s Daily, Global Times and Beijing Daily.
In his post on April 20, Trump accused China of dumping waste, describing it as “‘A Gift from China’ in the Pacific Ocean!”
But The Paper reported that two of the three pictures were taken a few years ago.
