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US President Donald Trump’s latest accusations that China interfered in US elections risk unsettling a fragile détente with Beijing just weeks before a planned summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
In a rare prime-time address from the White House on Thursday, Trump revived his claims that weaknesses in America’s election system had left the country vulnerable, accusing China of improperly obtaining data involving millions of US voters.
“This data loss presents an unprecedented election security nightmare,” Reuters quoted Trump saying.
Beijing rejected the allegations, describing them as “pure fabrication” and a “malicious smear campaign”.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said China had never interfered in US elections and urged Washington to stop making what he called baseless accusations.
“China has never and will never interfere in the presidential elections of the U.S.,” Chinese embassy spokesman Liu Chang said.
Trump’s remarks represented a notable shift from his recent efforts to project a more cooperative relationship with Xi, whom he has repeatedly described as a personal friend.
“The Chinese government wanted the U.S. president to lose the next election, and the reason they wanted me to lose is because they knew I was wise to them,” Trump said.
The comments come as the world’s two largest economies attempt to preserve a trade truce that paused a damaging tariff war.
Trump imposed triple-digit tariffs on Chinese goods in 2025 before easing tensions after Beijing restricted exports of rare-earth minerals, raising concerns over potential disruptions to US manufacturing.
Relations later improved, with Xi hosting Trump for a state visit in May, during which the US president softened his stance on sensitive issues including Taiwan and praised Xi as a “friend”.
Trump has since invited Xi to Washington on Sept 24 and is considering attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, China, in November.
Beijing has not confirmed Xi’s Washington visit, with officials indicating privately that future engagement will depend on maintaining stable bilateral relations.
Despite Trump’s sharp accusations, Beijing may view the speech as primarily driven by US domestic politics ahead of November’s congressional elections rather than a major change in China policy, according to analysts.
The speech also stopped short of announcing new penalties against Beijing, potentially limiting its impact on bilateral relations.
Trump’s allegations echo his repeated claims that the 2020 presidential election was affected by foreign interference, claims that have been widely disputed. A 2021 US intelligence assessment found no evidence that China or any other foreign actor altered technical elements of that election, including voter registration, ballots, vote counting or results.
It remains unclear whether Trump’s administration will pursue any action against China following the allegations, although the president has instructed law enforcement agencies to investigate possible wrongdoing.
The White House has also reportedly reviewed proposed China-related measures in recent months, while discouraging steps that could further damage ties.
“President Trump is using a false claim about Chinese interference to push Congress to pass legislation to restrict access to voting,” said Mira Rapp-Hooper, a former senior director for East Asia at the White House National Security Council.
“He must believe that his rapprochement with Xi Jinping, including a visit by Xi to Washington in September, will withstand this.” - July 17, 2026