President Donald Trump acknowledged Sunday that China spies on the United States and said Washington conducts similar intelligence operations after a report linked satellite imagery supplied by Chinese entities to an Iranian missile strike that killed three U.S. troops in Jordan.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom.
President Donald Trump said Sunday that China spies on the United States just as Washington conducts intelligence operations against Beijing, responding to a report that Chinese entities supplied Iran with high-resolution satellite imagery of an American military base before a missile strike that killed three U.S. service members.
Speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump was asked about a Wall Street Journal report linking imagery obtained from Chinese entities to Iran’s July 17 attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan.
“They basically do what we do,” Trump said.
The president was also asked whether he intended to discuss the matter with Chinese President Xi Jinping when Xi travels to the United States later this month.
Trump said Xi has “behaved reasonably well,” adding that “we behave reasonably well.”
“You know what they say? That China spies on us. I say you’re right, and we spy on them, too,” Trump said.
Xi is scheduled to visit Washington on Sept. 24 for a summit with Trump, placing the reported intelligence connection to Iran’s attack among the issues emerging shortly before the two leaders are expected to meet.
U.S. officials cited by the Wall Street Journal linked high-resolution satellite imagery supplied by Chinese entities to Iran’s July 17 missile strike against Muwaffaq Salti Air Base.
Three U.S. troops were killed in the attack.
Officials described the finding as the clearest evidence yet that assistance from Chinese entities to Iran during the war had resulted in deadly consequences for American forces.
The officials did not publicly identify which Chinese entities allegedly provided the imagery. They also did not accuse the government in Beijing of directly participating in the Iranian attack.
Trump’s comments therefore stopped short of alleging direct Chinese government involvement. Instead, he framed intelligence collection between the United States and China as an activity conducted by both countries while responding to questions about the reported satellite imagery.
The reported connection nevertheless places new attention on assistance Iran may have received before the July strike, particularly because the imagery involved Muwaffaq Salti Air Base and was allegedly obtained before an attack that killed American military personnel.
With Xi due in Washington on Sept. 24, Trump has indicated that the reported activity has not fundamentally altered his public assessment of the Chinese leader, saying Sunday that Xi has “behaved reasonably well” while acknowledging that both countries conduct intelligence operations against one another.
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