Reuters on Monday published a report on InfinitUs Marketing Solutions, a Philippine marketing agency that was allegedly hired by the Communist Chinese government to wage an “infowar” campaign against America’s security alliance with the government in Manila.
Much of the activity China paid for consisted of old-fashioned astroturfing — fake social media accounts created by InfinitUs Marketing Solutions to make it look like a groundswell of Filipinos were in love with China, hated the United States, and wanted their own government to stop resisting China’s aggressive territorial claims in the South China Sea.
According to documents obtained by Reuters and interviews with former employees, the Philippine company created a large number of fake accounts on Facebook, which is enormously popular in the Philippines. This network of fake accounts was used to “amplify anti-American content created by Filipino writers, including some who had received money from Beijing.”
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InfinitUs documents obtained by Reuters referred to the network of fake Facebook accounts as the company’s “army.” Progress reports prepared by the company discussed the activities of the “army,” such as supporting “the advocacies and activities of the Chinese ambassador’s page,” or criticizing the deployment of American missiles to the Philippines.
The “army” worked hard to boost content from pro-Chinese writers and influencers in the Philippines, notably including Chinese-educated counterterrorism expert Rommel Banlaoi, who has been showered with Chinese-funded “awards” for his work that adds up to “multiples of the average Philippine monthly wage,” according to Reuters.
InfinitUs also created a fake media outlet called Ni Hao Manila that allegedly served China’s interests, but was “designed to look Filipino-run.”
The activities of InfinitUs first made headlines in the Philippines in April, when the company was accused of using fake social media accounts to boost the Chinese embassy’s messaging during a Philippine Senate hearing. One of the senators making the allegations brandished a copy of a check from the Chinese embassy to InfinitUs, paying the company for its services.
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Despite the existence of these documents, the Chinese government issued its standard denial of influencing the politics of other countries when Reuters asked for comment.
InfinitUs Marketing Solutions CEO Paul Li admitted during the Senate hearings that his company did public-relations work for the Chinese embassy. He claimed the check from the Chinese embassy that was introduced as damaging evidence during the Senate hearing was a legitimate payment for InfinitUS hosting an award ceremony in June 2023.
“I’m just a regular businessman. I’m not connected to politics in anyway. But this issue has already affected our business. I’m speaking today simply to protect the name of our company and to preserve the trust of our client and employees,” Li said.
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The senator who made the influence allegations against InfinitUs, then-Majority Leader Francis Tolentino, countered that the company’s list of expenses for that event included coronavirus antigen kits, sanitary masks, and face shields, long after the pandemic ended.
“I think either you’re trying to confuse this committee or lying upfront, outright. Sir, I’m sorry, the committee will not be accepting these documents,” Tolentino said.
InfinitUs issued a statement in May insisting it was a “law-abiding Filipino company” and denying it had a contract with any foreign government for “troll operations, disinformation, or illicit digital activity.” The company claimed any evidence to the contrary was “at best a forgery crafted to fit a political narrative.”
“We are not trolls — we are professionals. Our firm does not, and will never, engage in trolling, online harassment, or deception. InfinitUs operates on a foundation of transparent, ethical, and data-driven communications. The reckless labeling of our services as ‘troll activity’ is false, defamatory, and endangers our people and clients,” the company said in May.
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