Trump accuses China of vote meddling
WASHINGTON, D.C.: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) accused China of seeking to influence knife-edge midterm congressional elections by taking aim at his political base in the economic giants’ rapidly escalating trade war.
The allegations raised the temperature in the escalating dispute after Trump pulled the trigger late on Monday on 10 percent tariffs against another $200 billion in Chinese goods from next week, with a threat of more tariffs on another $267 billion.
But, Beijing denied Trump’s allegations.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said: “Anyone who has some knowledge of China’s diplomacy will know that we will not interfere in other countries’ domestic affairs.”
“We don’t want others to interfere in our domestic politics, and we will not interfere in the domestic politics of others,” Geng said at a regular press briefing.
The US announced on Monday that it would push ahead with tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods, on top of $50 billion already targeted.
After China on Tuesday retaliated with duties on $60 billion of American products, Trump accused China of trying to sway the elections.
“China has openly stated that they are actively trying to impact and change our elections by attacking our farmers, ranchers and industrial workers because of their loyalty to me,” Trump wrote on Twitter.
Accusations of election meddling are especially sensitive in the US, given the political maelstrom over Russia’s alleged intervention to support Trump in the 2016 presidential vote.
In a combative series of tweets, Trump, whose Republicans fear losing control of Congress in November, accused China of targeting retaliatory trade measures for political effect.
“China has been taking advantage of the United States on Trade for many years. They also know that I am the one that knows how to stop it,” he added.
“There will be great and fast economic retaliation against China if our farmers, ranchers and/or industrial workers are targeted!”
It was unclear to which open statements by China — if any —Trump was referring.
However, China and other US trading partners have targeted their retaliation to inflict pain in politically sensitive areas, including in areas that Democrats hope to take from Republicans in November.
Recent NBC News/Marist polling has also found the trade war is unpopular in six states: Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas.
Trump believes that his tearing up of the international trade rulebook is long overdue. His promise to end what he says are grossly skewed Chinese trade relations was a key plank of his election.
At a news conference on Monday, Trump again said the United States had been “ripped off” by China.
“They rebuilt their country with tremendous amounts of money pouring out of the United States. I have changed that around,” Trump said during a news conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda.
“Our country has been abused and taken advantage of by virtually every country that it does business with. And we’re just not letting that happen anymore.”
Washington accuses China in particular of seeking global industrial dominance through industrial espionage and forced transfers of technology from foreign companies, state-sponsored corporate acquisitions, illicit market interventions, subsidies and dumping.
Administration officials told reporters this week that China had been “obdurate” in refusing to address American grievances.
AFP
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