China attempts to ‘influence, potentially interfere’ in upcoming US elections: Blinken | Global News

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has raised concerns about Chinese attempts to influence and interfere with the upcoming US elections, despite Chinese President Xi Jinping’s earlier commitment not to do so. Blinken made these remarks during his three-day trip to China, where he met with top Chinese officials, including Xi.

In an interview with CNN, Blinken stated that the US has seen evidence of Chinese attempts to influence and interfere with the upcoming elections. He reiterated President Joe Biden’s message to Xi Jinping to not interfere in the 2024 US presidential elections, to which Xi had pledged not to do so.

“We have seen evidence of attempts to influence and interfere, and we want to make sure that that’s cut off as quickly as possible,” Blinken said. He emphasized that any interference by China in the US election is unacceptable and that the US is closely monitoring the situation.

Blinken also expressed concerns about China and other countries exploiting existing social divisions in the US for influence campaigns. While Beijing has repeatedly denied interfering in US elections based on its principle of non-interference, there have been accusations of political interference in other countries linked to China.

Blinken’s trip to China marks a continuation of high-level engagements between the two countries, aimed at expanding bilateral communications and addressing differences to prevent conflicts. The US is focused on areas of cooperation while being forthright about their differences with China.