China Behind Fake Report Hoax

(FiveNation.com)- Lord Philip Hammond’s office has reported that a leading Chinese Communist Party propaganda organ made up an article and fraudulently ascribed it to the former UK Chancellor.

China Daily, a state-owned newspaper and a leading English-language foreign propaganda source for the dictatorship in Beijing, published an article last week that falsely attributed its authorship to former British Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond, who held this role under Theresa May.

The item fraudulently ascribed to Hammond was a mishmash of made-up quotes and excerpts from a speech Hammond gave in London earlier this month on strengthening China-Britain economic ties.

A representative for Lord Philip’s office said in a statement that Philip gave a lecture to a business gathering concerning China-UK ties. China Daily attempted to pass off random remarks he made as an op-ed he wrote exclusively for them.

According to a spokeswoman for former Chancellor Hammond, he has also received an apology from the editor of the China Daily.

The portion of the bogus article where he is quoted as calling for “business as usual” in trade ties between China and the United Kingdom received the most backlash from readers. A complete copy of Hammond’s speech was released and it revealed that the phrase was really about people finally being able to meet face-to-face after years of delays due to the Chinese lockdowns.

The address was given at a London event sponsored by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in the UK, the China-British Business Council, and the controversial and secretive 48 Group Club, all of whom have pushed for tighter economic links between the communist country and the United Kingdom for some time.

Even though that quote was taken out of context in the fake article, Lord Philip did say something similar in his speech. He said it would be beneficial to commit again tonight that trade between China and the United Kingdom will grow in the post-Brexit future.

He urged the UK to recommit to the things that have brought so many Chinese and other foreign investors to the UK shores in the past.