Could Trump’s ‘last-gasp’ China election claims derail Xi’s US trip?
As midterms loom and Iran war backlash grows, US president resurrects unproven allegations, casting uncertainty over Chinese leader’s visit
In his national address on Thursday night (US time), Trump launched an unprecedented broadside against alleged Chinese interference, accusing Beijing of orchestrating the “largest compromise of election data in history”.
He claimed Beijing sought to – among other things – turn American business leaders and journalists against him.
The charged speech came as relations between the world’s two largest economies have shown signs of stabilising ahead of Xi’s planned US trip, and as America gears up for the November midterm elections.
Zhao Minghao, a professor at Fudan University’s Institute of International Studies, said Trump appeared to have taken a harder line on China since returning from his Beijing trip in May, amid criticism at home that he had gone soft on the rival power.