Last week, when rumors spread that China was attempting to "interfere with U.S. elections," China refuted these claims. Subsequently, U.S. President Trump revealed that the United States had indeed interfered in Chinese affairs.
On July 21 local time, Trump said to reporters at the White House that he would discuss with the Chinese side the intelligence that the United States has regarding alleged “Chinese interference in U.S. elections”. However, he also added that this incident happened a long time ago, and “China is no longer the same as it used to be”. “To be honest, we will do the same, and it’s not a one-way process.”
Trump did not further explain what exactly was meant by the statement that “the United States will also do something in relation to China”.
Prior to this, on the 16th, Trump delivered a national televised speech during prime time, in which he accused China of interfering in the 2020 U.S. presidential elections and claimed that China had tried to influence the 2018 U.S. midterm elections. He also pointed the finger at the “deep state” within the United States, accusing it of deliberately concealing information about “China’s interference in U.S. elections.”
However, Trump's statement was quickly refuted. On the 17th, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post noted that this news quickly led to mockery among Chinese netizens.
"China has once again become the scapegoat?" A netizen analysis suggests that Trump needs an enemy to solidify his support rate before mid-term elections.
Many social media users believe that Trump's trade war with China has prompted China to carry out profound economic reforms, and ultimately China will benefit. "Let them focus on internal conflicts; we focus on development."
The USA Today also reported on the 21st that previous assessments by U.S. intelligence agencies indicated that China never attempted to interfere in the U.S. presidential elections of 2020. In March 2021, the Director of National Intelligence under the Biden administration released a report stating that the U.S. intelligence community was “highly confident” that China did not interfere in the 2020 elections.
On July 17th, Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated at a regular press conference that the claims made by the US are purely baseless and malicious attempts to smear. Such claims have long been proven to be nonsensical.
Lin Jian said that China has always adhered to the principle of non-interference in internal affairs. It has no interest in, nor has it ever interfered in, the U.S. elections. On the contrary, those who interfere in other countries' internal affairs, who continuously monitor governments, businesses, and ordinary citizens around the world without discrimination, and who steal the data of citizens from other countries—these actions are clearly visible to the international community. "We urge the U.S. to reflect on its own actions, stop making unfounded accusations against China, and not use China as a pretext during elections. Instead, it should do more things that are beneficial to Sino-U.S. relations."
