China’s Alleged Efforts to Influence U.S. Election

The Chinese government reportedly aimed to find and compensate American journalists who could write negatively about President Donald Trump in 2019, with the goal of influencing the 2020 presidential election, as indicated by a declassified CIA memo.

This memo was made public alongside information from the White House during Trump’s speech focused on election integrity and various vulnerabilities within the electoral system. In his approximately 26-minute address, Trump revealed declassified findings about issues such as unauthorized access to U.S. voter rolls, the presence of non-citizens on those rolls, and weaknesses in electronic voting systems. He also highlighted a slow response from the Biden administration regarding election fraud investigations in Michigan.

During his speech, Trump stated that the Chinese government specifically sought out American journalists who criticized him, offering substantial payments to write numerous negative articles without concern for accuracy or content. “They wanted me to lose the election,” Trump asserted, alluding to Beijing’s intentions.

The CIA memo described China’s strategy towards the U.S. in mid-2019 as “unwarranted,” suggesting it aimed to erode domestic confidence in the U.S. presidency. According to the memo, the Chinese government attempted to manipulate contracts with major corporations to influence U.S. business leaders against Trump, targeting journalists who had previously reported negatively on him.

Following Trump’s remarks, the Chinese government rejected allegations of interference in U.S. elections. The embassy in Washington issued a statement insisting that China follows a policy of non-interference in the domestic affairs of other nations, emphasizing that U.S. elections are solely determined by the American electorate.

Additionally, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the U.S. to cease what it termed slander against China.