The house just passed $1.6B spending bill for the production of anti-china propaganda. This isn't necessarily a result of that, but I'd imagine some of the weird rumors you hear are manufactured by US intelligence/state dept.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1157
https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1157...
Oh. Had to look it up.
(6) to expose misinformation and disinformation of the Chinese Communist Party’s or the Government of the People’s Republic of China’s propaganda, including through programs carried out by the Global Engagement Center; and
(7) to counter efforts by the Chinese Communist Party or the Government of the People’s Republic of China to legitimize or promote authoritarian ideology and governance models.
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Feels like the defense sector is determined to make China a perpetual enemy.