Trump releases declassified intel alleging China sought to influence US polls

US President Donald Trump has released a fresh batch of declassified intelligence records that he claims show China sought to influence American politics by undermining his presidency and attempting to affect the outcome of the 2018 midterm elections and the 2020 presidential election.

Announcing the release at the White House on Thursday, Trump said the intelligence assessments indicated that Beijing opposed his administration because of its policies towards China, including higher tariffs, a tougher national security posture and military expansion.

According to Trump, the declassified material includes CIA assessments stating that the Chinese Communist Party adopted a strategy in mid-2018 aimed at reducing public support for him and preventing his re-election.

He said one intelligence assessment concluded that China was actively working to influence both the 2018 congressional elections and the 2020 presidential contest, while another described Beijing's objective as undermining domestic confidence in the US President.

The declassified summaries released by the White House allege that China planned a broad influence campaign by exploiting existing social, political and economic divisions within the United States. The reported themes included the economy, racial tensions, the COVID-19 pandemic, policing, civil-military relations, political polarisation, women's rights, immigration, gun policy and US-China relations.

According to the summaries, Chinese authorities had developed the capability to amplify these narratives through social media platforms, mainstream media, overt and covert influencers, and other media contributors. The documents also state that one proposal under consideration involved collecting information on senior US government officials to shape public opinion.

Trump further alleged that the intelligence records described efforts by Beijing to influence American business leaders and journalists. He claimed the documents suggested Chinese officials sought to encourage executives at major US companies to publicly oppose his administration and identify journalists critical of him in an effort to promote additional negative coverage.

Speaking at the White House, Trump argued that the alleged campaign stemmed from Beijing's opposition to his trade and national security agenda.

"They wanted Donald Trump to lose, and for good reason," he said, citing the tariffs imposed on Chinese imports and his administration's military policies.

The documents form part of a wider declassification initiative ordered by Trump covering intelligence assessments, FBI records and other government files related to foreign interference, election security and cyber operations. The President said the material had been reviewed by the White House Government Transparency Task Force and senior intelligence officials before being made public.

The allegations contained in the declassified records reflect the intelligence assessments released by the administration. China has previously rejected accusations that it interferes in US elections.

With IANS inputs