China interfered in 2020 US election: Trump

US President Donald Trump has declassified a series of intelligence documents alleging that China attempted to interfere in the 2020 US presidential election, reviving a claim that contradicts previous assessments by the US intelligence community.

Speaking after the documents were released, Trump claimed they reveal serious vulnerabilities in the US electoral system and alleged that China illegally collected personal information on nearly 220 million American voters, including names, addresses and voter registration records.

Trump also accused members of the US intelligence community of deliberately withholding key information related to China's activities during the election.

However, a declassified intelligence assessment published in 2021 concluded that no foreign government, including China, successfully carried out technical interference that altered voter registration systems, ballots, vote counting or the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.

The assessment was prepared under then-Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, who currently serves as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

While the report found no evidence of election manipulation, it noted that China had sought to collect information on US voters, public opinion, political parties, candidates and senior government officials since at least 2008.

Analysts said such data collection was likely aimed at monitoring political trends and assessing election outcomes rather than influencing the vote itself.

Two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that the voter data cited by Trump was not classified, noting that political consulting firms in the United States routinely purchase similar voter databases, making it unlikely that such information could be used to alter election results.

Reuters also reported that some White House officials had expressed concern before Trump's announcement that releasing the China-related intelligence could create public confusion.

China swiftly rejected the allegations. Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said Beijing has never interfered in US presidential elections and has no intention of doing so in the future.