China has formally dismissed allegations made by US President Donald Trump regarding election interference, describing the claims as entirely baseless. During a press briefing in Beijing on Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated that the accusations had no factual ground and were specifically designed to vilify China ahead of the upcoming US midterm elections.
The controversy stems from a primetime address by Trump, in which he alleged that China had obtained 220 million US voter files starting in the 2020 election cycle. He characterized the event as the largest compromise of election data in history and announced the declassification of intelligence, which he claimed revealed significant vulnerabilities in US election systems and extensive foreign interference.
Responding to these claims, Lin emphasized that China adheres to a consistent policy of non-interference regarding the internal affairs of other nations. He asserted that China has no interest in meddling in US elections and has never done so, noting that similar accusations in the past have repeatedly been proven unfounded. Furthermore, the spokesperson pivoted the criticism back toward the United States, questioning which nation has a history of conducting indiscriminate global surveillance and interfering in the affairs of other governments, businesses, and the general public.
Trump also referenced a CIA report suggesting that Chinese leadership sought to weaken his electoral prospects during his first term leading up to the 2020 presidential election. This exchange occurs only months before American voters head to the polls in November, as tensions between Washington and Beijing remain elevated across various sectors, including trade, technology, and national security.
