As AFN has reported, President Donald Trump addressed the topic of free and fair elections in a primetime address last week and announced the declassification of critical intelligence that revealed "shocking vulnerabilities" related to "hacking, exploitation and foreign interference."
Trump added that Beijing engaged in an influence campaign aimed at shaping U.S. public perceptions, and the president said this vital information had been covered up and hidden for many years by the deep state.
During a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in the Oval Office on Tuesday, a reporter asked whether he plans to put any pressure or consequences on China for carrying out, in his words, "what is believed to be the largest compromise of election data in history."
"We're going to talk to them about it," he replied. "It took place a long time ago. I think China is maybe a little bit different today than it was then."
"I'll be honest: we do things to them, too," he added. "It's not a one-way street. But we'll be talking to them."
Gordon Chang, an author and Asian policy analyst, says that response was "disappointing."
"If China's election interference in 2020 was no big deal, then why did he ask the media to give him prime time on Thursday?" he poses. "It doesn't compute."
Chang says he cannot figure out Trump's China policy.
"It's erratic. It's, I believe, generally good at some times, and sometimes it's atrocious. I have yet to be able to understand what he's doing," he tells AFN.
He insists the Chinese government must be held accountable for its actions related to the 2020 election.
