Topline
Officials in Beijing on Friday vehemently pushed back against President Donald Trump’s allegations of Chinese interference in U.S. elections, labeling them as fabrications and slander, amid concerns that Trump’s latest claims could disrupt a thawing of ties between the world’s two largest economies.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry dismissed Trump’s allegations as fabricated and malicous.
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Key Facts
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian was asked about Trump’s allegations during his daily press briefing on Friday and said they are: “entirely fabricated and a malicious smear that has long been proven groundless,” according to a state media translation.
Lin said China has a policy of not interfering in other countries’ internal affairs and has “no interest in the U.S. election.”
The spokesperson then took a shot at the U.S., saying the international community is fully aware which country has interfered in others’ internal matters and carried out indiscriminate surveillance of governments.
Lin said his country urges the U.S. to “reflect on its own conduct,” stop making “baseless allegations,” and refrain from using China as an election issue.
The foreign ministry official, however, signaled that Beijing was still open to talks with the U.S., calling on Washington to do more to “foster positive China-US relations.”
crucial quote
In an earlier statement, the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., said: “We urge the US side to reflect on its own actions, stop baselessly smearing China, refrain from making China an issue in its elections, and do more to foster positive China-US relations.”
What Did Trump Say About China In His Speech?
In his speech on Thursday night, the president reiterated his grievances about the state of election security in the U.S. and said he was declassifying documents that showed China had illicitly acquired 220 million U.S. voter files, including names, addresses and other data. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., the senior-most Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, and several others pointed out that voter information is publicly available and can be purchased by campaigns. Trump also claimed that in 2019, the Chinese government deployed a strategy that was focused on “undermining domestic confidence in” him. “They wanted to just make you sound like your president was not so hot. When, actually, your president has done a great job.”
news peg
The president’s election-interference claims come just two months after he visited Beijing for a summit meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. Trump’s trip to China and effusive praise of Xi during the visit appeared to signal a thawing of ties between the two countries after a year-long escalating trade war. The latest comments, however, threaten to derail progress on trade talks and other matters. Trump has formally invited Xi to the White House for a summit in September.
further reading
Trump Accuses China Of Meddling In Elections As He Rehashes Old Concerns About 2020 (Forbes)