China Hits Back At Trump's Election Interference Allegations, Warns Over US-China Ties

China on Friday rejected US President Donald Trump’s allegations that Beijing interfered in American elections, dismissing the claims as fabricated and urging Washington to stop using China as an election issue, amid concerns the latest exchange could weigh on efforts to stabilise bilateral ties. According to PTI, Beijing also maintained that it has never interfered in US elections.

The response followed Trump’s primetime address on Thursday, in which he accused China of interfering in the 2020 US presidential election and alleged the "illicit acquisition" of 220 million voter files, including personal information. Reported PTI, the remarks came even as Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit the United States in September at Trump’s invitation, with analysts warning the latest rhetoric could complicate preparations for the trip.

Responding to a question at a media briefing in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said China had "always upheld the principle of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs and has neither any interest in nor ever interfered in US elections."

"In contrast, the international community knows full well who habitually interferes in other countries' internal affairs, indiscriminately conducts long-term surveillance of governments, businesses and ordinary citizens around the world, and steals foreign citizens' data on a massive scale," Lin said.

"We urge the US side to reflect on its own conduct, stop making baseless accusations against China, refrain from using China as an election issue, and do more to promote China-US relations," he said.

Asked whether Trump’s allegations would affect Xi’s plans to visit the US in September, Lin said: “We urge the US to stop making an issue of China in its elections and do something conducive to China-US relations”.

According to PTI, Trump visited China in May and held talks with Xi, following which the Chinese President said both sides had reached important common understandings on maintaining stable economic and trade ties, expanding practical cooperation in various fields, and properly addressing each other’s concerns.

Trump invited Xi to make a reciprocal visit to the US in September, which the Chinese President accepted.

Chinese analysts said Trump’s latest allegations against China may derail Xi’s planned visit to the US.

Zhao Minghao, a professor at Fudan University’s Institute of International Studies, said Trump appeared to have taken a harder line on China since returning from his Beijing trip in May, amid criticism at home that he had gone soft on China.

Trump also railed against communism in a speech earlier this week.

“All these will have some impact on US-China relations,” Zhao told the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post. “Trump’s purpose is, on one hand, to display toughness on China. And on the other, it’s also with an eye on this year’s midterm elections.”

The attacks could complicate Xi’s possible US visit, Zhao said, along with other factors including the Trump administration’s ongoing tariff investigations against Beijing and US arms sales to Taiwan.

Diao Daming, an international relations professor at Renmin University of China, said Trump’s attack on China did little to help build on the positive momentum from the May summit, when the two leaders agreed to build a constructive relationship of strategic stability.

He said while Trump’s speech was likely driven by domestic political considerations, if he continued this approach it could undermine “the rare, positive atmosphere in Sino-US relations”.

In 2020, incumbent President Trump sought re-election but was defeated by Democratic candidate Joe Biden.

(With inputs from PTI)