China urges U.S. to stop unwarranted allegations of “election meddling”

BEIJING -- China on Thursday urged the United States to stop uttering words and deeds that are harmful to Sino-U.S. relations and the fundamental interests of the two countries’ people. The request was made by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang at a daily news briefing, when responding to a question regarding allegations that China is “attempting to interfere in” the 2018 mid term U.S. elections. “Non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries is a tradition of China’s foreign policy, which has won widespread praise from the international community,” said Geng. “The international community is clear about which country interferes the most in other countries’ internal affairs.” He urged the U.S. to put an end to unwarranted accusations and defamation regarding this concern. In response to the claim that China intends on influencing American farmers by getting China Daily to place propaganda ads in papers such as the Des Moines Register to “make it look like news,” Geng said it is utterly “groundless and farfetched” to interpret normal business cooperation as “attempts to meddle in U.S. elections.” According to U.S. laws and regulations, foreign media outlets are allowed to have various forms of partnerships with their American counterparts. “As far as I can see, buying space in the Des Moines Register falls into this category,” Geng said, adding that the practice is common for many foreign news organizations. (Xinhua)