China dismisses Trump's election interference accusations as 'groundless'
China on Friday said it has never interfered in US elections and has no interest in doing so, after US President Donald Trump accused Beijing of meddling in the 2020 election.
China on Friday rejected US President Donald Trump's allegations that Beijing interfered in the 2020 US election, calling them completely fabricated. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated, “The relevant allegations by the US are entirely fabricated and aimed at vilifying China. We have no interest in interfering in US elections and have never done so.”
When asked if Trump's comments could affect Chinese President Xi Jinping's expected visit to the US in September, Jian responded, “As I just said, we urge the US to stop making an issue of China in its elections and do something conducive to China-US relations.”
In a primetime address on Thursday, Trump doubled down on claims of voter fraud and interference, which he has previously used to deny his loss in the 2020 election. He said, “America is back and doing really well, but we still have a major challenge that must be urgently addressed, because no country can be great without fair and honest elections.” Trump also announced he would release classified documents allegedly showing that China had illicitly acquired 220 million US voter files, including names, addresses, phone numbers, and political party preferences.
However, his renewed allegations contradict previous audits and reviews, including an assessment by Trump's then-Attorney General William Barr, which found no significant evidence of voter fraud in the 2020 election.
Separately, the State Department said on Friday that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to the Philippines next week to meet with Southeast Asian counterparts. Spokesman Tommy Pigott said the trip “advances a clear US priority: a free and open Indo-Pacific that delivers safety, security, and prosperity for the region and for the American people.” No details of Rubio's schedule were provided, but last year he met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the ASEAN gathering. The two diplomats spoke recently by telephone following Trump's visit to China last spring.
