China's foreign ministry on Friday dismissed President Trump's claims of election interference by China, describing the allegations as a deliberate attempt to vilify Beijing.
The remarks came after Trump alleged in a prime-time address Thursday that China interfered in the 2020 election, reviving his attacks on election security despite a 2021 U.S. intelligence assessment that found no evidence of Chinese interference.
Speaking at a regular press briefing on Friday, foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said China has "no interest in interfering in the U.S. elections and has never done so," reiterating that Beijing adheres to the principle of noninterference in other countries' internal affairs.
Lin said similar allegations had long been proven unfounded and accused the U.S. of interfering in other countries' internal affairs and conducting indiscriminate global surveillance. He urged Washington to "stop unwanted vilification against China, stop making China an issue in its elections, and act more in ways conducive to China-U.S. relations."
Meanwhile, the Trump administration said it would shorten the duration of visas for foreign journalists, trimming permitted stays for Chinese reporters to just 90 days while capping visas for other nationalities at 240 days.
