President Trump followed up on his claim that China is trying to interfere in the upcoming midterm elections by posting a photo on his Twitter page of an advertising section placed in an Iowa newspaper by a Chinese government-run media company.
“China is actually placing propaganda ads in the Des Moines Register and other papers, made to look like news,” Trump wrote on his account Wednesday. “That’s because we are beating them on Trade, opening markets, and the farmers will make a fortune when this is over!”
Earlier, Trump chaired a meeting of the United Nations Security Council where he claimed that China was trying to meddle in the election because of his war with China over tariffs.
“Regrettably, we found that China has been trying to interfere in 2018 election against my administration,” he said. “They do not want me or us to win because I am the first president to challenge China on trade, and we are winning on trade.”
The ads ran in a four-page section of the Des Moines Register on Sunday and were paid for by China Daily, the Chinese government’s official publication, Bloomberg News reported.
The supplement included articles on how importers in China are turning to South American markets for soybeans.
“As the largest importer of U.S. soybeans, China is a vital and robust market we cannot afford to lose,” the supplement quoted Davie Stephens, vice president of the American Soybean Association and a Kentucky soybean grower, as saying, according to Bloomberg.
At the United Nations, China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, denied Trump’s claims.
“China has all along followed the policy of noninterference in other countries’ affairs,” Wang said. “We did not and will not interfere in any other countries’ affairs. We refuse to accept any unwarranted accusations against China.”
The US on Monday imposed a 10 percent tariff on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods that will increase to 25 percent by the end of the year.
The US already had slapped tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese products.
In retaliation, China levied tariffs of $110 billion on US goods, including soybeans and other agricultural products.
