China sought Trump's defeat, CIA files allege

Washington, July 17 (IANS) US President Donald Trump on Thursday released newly declassified intelligence records that he said show China sought to undermine his presidency and influence the outcome of the 2018 midterm and 2020 presidential elections through a broad political and information campaign.

Announcing the release from the White House, Trump said the intelligence records showed that Beijing wanted him defeated because of his administration’s policies towards China, including tariffs and military expansion.

“China engaged in other election-related activities to undermine my first administration and our 2020 campaign,” Trump said. “They did not want Donald Trump to win.”

Quoting from what he described as CIA reporting, Trump said the Chinese Communist Party’s policy in mid-2018 was “to leverage all domestic and foreign elements that were opposed to the US president in an effort to reduce the US president’s votes and make him resign or prevent his re-election.”

According to Trump, another intelligence assessment stated that China was working to influence both the 2018 congressional elections and the 2020 presidential election.

He also cited intelligence that allegedly concluded Beijing’s strategy focused on “undermining domestic confidence in the U.S. president.”

The declassified summary documents released by the White House describe an extensive Chinese influence campaign ahead of the 2020 election. According to the summaries, the plans were designed to exploit what Beijing perceived as American social and political vulnerabilities and to influence public opinion against the Trump administration and the U.S. government.

The records say the alleged influence themes included economic recession, racial tensions, COVID-19, policing, relations between the military and civilians, political divisions, women’s rights, immigration, gun policy and US-China relations.

The summaries further state that China had developed the capability to project those themes through social media platforms, mainstream media, overt and covert influencers, and media contributors. They also allege that one option under consideration included gathering information on senior US government officials to influence public opinion about them.

Trump said the intelligence also described efforts to influence American business leaders and journalists.

“The Chinese government’s strategy against the United States was focused on undermining domestic confidence in the US president,” Trump said.

He further quoted from the documents, saying the Chinese government sought to use contacts with major American companies to persuade business leaders to oppose his administration. He also alleged the intelligence reported efforts to identify journalists who had written critically about him and pay them to produce additional negative coverage.

The President argued that the alleged campaign was motivated by Beijing’s opposition to his trade and national security policies.

“They wanted Donald Trump to lose, and for good reason,” he said, pointing to tariffs imposed on Chinese imports and his administration’s military policies.

The newly released material forms part of a broader declassification ordered by Trump and includes intelligence assessments, FBI records and other government documents relating to foreign interference, election security and cyber operations. Trump said the records had been reviewed by the White House Government Transparency Task Force and senior intelligence officials before their release.

–IANS

lkj/rs