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Trump Accuses China of 'Greatest Election Data Theft,' Warns of Relations Strain
๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡น Austria /Elections & Politics

Trump Accuses China of 'Greatest Election Data Theft,' Warns of Relations Strain

From Die Presse · () German

Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • President Donald Trump accused China of stealing 220 million U.S. voter records, calling it the "greatest theft of election data in history."
  • U.S. intelligence agencies have previously refuted claims of Chinese interference in the 2020 election.
  • China's embassy stated that the U.S. election is an internal matter and China has never interfered.

President Donald Trump leveled accusations against China, alleging the theft of 220 million U.S. voter records and labeling it "the greatest theft of election data in history." In a televised address from the White House, Trump also warned of potentially severing ties with China if the allegations proved true, while simultaneously focusing on securing a victory in the upcoming November midterm elections.

China has always adhered to the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. The US election is an internal affair of the US. Its outcome will be determined by the votes of the American people. China has never interfered in the US presidential election and never will.

โ€” Liu ChangSpokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, responding to President Trump's accusations.

These claims by Trump come months before an anticipated visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the U.S., a visit intended to stabilize bilateral relations and maintain the trade truce established the previous year. Trump's allegations directly contradict findings from U.S. intelligence agencies, which had previously concluded that China did not attempt to influence the 2020 election outcome.

China has not interfered in the 2020 election and had no incentive to do so, as there was no clear pro-Beijing candidate.

โ€” Henry Wang HuiyaoFounder of the think tank 'Center for China and Globalization' in Beijing, commenting on China's alleged involvement.

Trump further accused U.S. intelligence agencies of withholding information regarding China's alleged interference in the 2020 election. However, China's embassy in Washington, through spokesperson Liu Chang, firmly denied the accusations. Liu stated that China adheres to the principle of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs and that the U.S. election is an internal matter determined by American voters.

China and the US are currently in a very delicate and important phase. This is certainly not conducive to our bilateral relations. We should really refrain from attacking and accusing each other.

โ€” Henry Wang HuiyaoFounder of the 'Center for China and Globalization' in Beijing, commenting on the state of US-China relations.

Experts like Henry Wang Huiyao, founder of the Center for China and Globalization, echoed China's stance, suggesting that China had no incentive to interfere in the 2020 election due to the absence of a clearly pro-Beijing candidate. He described the current U.S.-China relationship as being in a "very delicate and important phase" and advised against mutual attacks. Democratic Senator Mark Warner also dismissed Trump's claims as "completely baseless," citing the unanimous conclusion of U.S. intelligence agencies that China did not attempt to influence a single vote in the 2020 election.

The fact is that our intelligence agencies unanimously concluded that China did not even try to influence a single vote in the 2020 election.

โ€” Mark WarnerDemocratic Senator and member of the 'Gang of Eight' refuting Trump's claims about Chinese election interference.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Die Presse in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.