National Intelligence Director John Ratcliffe told Fox News that China “poses a greater national security threat” to the United States “than any other nation,” and details a web of threats that “include election and interference impacts.”
Intelligence officials say they are increasingly concerned about interference in the U.S. election by China, adding to existing concerns about interference by Russia that have been going on since 2016, such as the threat of mingling from Iran.
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“China is a bigger national security threat to the United States than any other nation – economically, militarily and technologically. That includes threats of influence and misappropriation of elections, ”Ratcliffe told Fox News in a statement.
While Russia was generally seen as the favorite of now-president Trump and generally sought to sow chaos in America in the 2016 election, the difference with China is that it is seen as a Trump loss in November. search. However, Congress Democrats such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, who have issued strong warnings about Russian mediation since 2016, have not been very vocal about China’s potential for interest in the 2020 elections. .
Pelosi, D-Caliph, said last week that the threats of interference from Russia and China were “not equal”, while urging the intelligence community to provide more information on Russian efforts, saying Moscow is “active 24/7 interference” in our election. “
Ratcliffe said the threat from China is in fact significant, and he “provides the IC resources needed to fully understand the threat posed by China and to provide US policymakers with the best intelligence to counter China’s broad and deep-seated malicious activities. to go. “
“China is concerned that President Trump’s re-election would lead to a continuation of policies they consider ‘anti-China,'” Ratcliffe said, noting that the intelligence community had informed “hundreds of members of Congress” about their concerns about China. to increase “And their increased efforts to influence the American policy climate in its favor.”
“Fair and free elections are a cornerstone of American democracy, and the IC continues to stand guard against the various activities by China, as well as other threatening countries and actors, that seek to influence our election process,” Ratcliffe said.
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The intelligence community has acknowledged that Russia’s mediation remains a threat in 2020, but specifically cited the efforts of China, which told an intelligence community official that Fox News has gone up in recent months, citing rhetoric between the US and China.
China’s cyber-attempts, in relation to efforts to influence the election, are anti-Trump administration and contain for the most part false social media accounts to bolster certain anti-American beliefs.
According to a report published this month by Graphika, social media accounts of the pro-Chinese political spam network Spamouflage Dragon began posting English-language videos attacking U.S. policy and the Trump administration in June.
The report found that some of the accounts created on YouTube and Twitter used artificial intelligence-generated profile photos, which is a common technique in disinformation campaigns, and did not appear to involve “authentic users” across social media platforms.
The efforts also do not appear to be “seriously attempting to conceal its Chinese origin, as it turned to reports related to American politics,” the report said.
Specifically, the report revealed that some of the anti-Trump messaging is related to the protests of coronavirus pandemic and racial justice in the US.
A video titled “Who is responsible for this national disaster in the United States?” posted on July 12, Trump called a “solid and creative ally” of the coronavirus, according to the report. The tone, according to Graphika, “oscillates between shocking criticism of the U.S. government’s treatment of the coronavirus outbreak and apparent sympathy for all U.S. citizens exposed to the pandemic and protests against anti-racism.”
Meanwhile, considering the intelligence community’s preparations in the 2020 versus 2016 elections to address malignant influencing activities, an ODNI official told Fox News that the ‘intelligence community’ is significantly ahead of where it is. in 2016 was related to giving updates to the American people on election threats, including China. ”
The ODNI official also told Fox News that the intelligence community is supporting the Homeland Security Department and the FBI in their efforts to support state and local officials in protecting election infrastructure.
The official also said that the ODNI is working with the FBI and its field bureau network to bring insights to state and local officials.
Earlier this month, Bill Evanina, director of the National Center for Counter-Intelligence and Security, who leads the intelligence community in election safety, warned that rival countries are re-influencing US policies and elections in various ways, declaring that Iran wants President Trump “undermining”, while Russia is working on “vice-denigrate” former vice president Joe Biden.
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That update of the election threat also indicated that China “prefers” Trump to “win no reelection” in November.
Evanina said earlier this month that Beijing was facing a Trump loss because Chinese officials saw him as unpredictable, adding that China had expanded its efforts to influence the general election and shape U.S. policy, by pushing for political pressure. figures that Chinese officials see as opposed to the interests of their country.
“While China will continue to weigh the risks and benefits of aggressive action, its public rhetoric has become increasingly critical in recent months of the administration’s current response to the administration’s COVID-19, the closure of the Houston Consulate in China. , and actions on other issues, “Evanina said earlier this month.
China “has criticized the administration’s statements and actions on Hong Kong, TikTok, the legal status of the South China Sea, and China’s efforts to dominate the 5G market,” Evanina said. all these efforts the presidencies can affect race. “
Last month, the Trump administration moved to close the Chinese consulate in Houston, Texas, in part because of the Chinese Communist Party’s goal for American energy companies.
Later that day, China ordered the closure of the U.S. consulate in the western city of Chengdu in Sichuan province, in apparent revenge.
As for TikTok, the Trump administration has taken a tough stance on the Chinese social media platform, this month issuing an executive order that the platform would be banned in the US within 45 days.
The U.S. ban puts pressure on the China-based company to sell the app’s U.S. platform – Microsoft is likely to be a leading candidate, but the deal will be closely monitored by the Trump administration.
Evanina has delivered nearly 20 classified briefings to both Trump and Biden’s presidential campaigns, political committees and members of Congress – including members of the House of Representatives and First Chamber of Deputies and Congress leadership – since election threats since mid-May.
An ODNI official told Fox News that the briefings are being led by Evanina and his team, but said the FBI and Homeland Security officials and other agencies are often present.
As for the FBI, Director Christopher Wray has been warning for months about Chinese attempts to influence American opinion and economic espionage.
Earlier this summer, Wray told Fox News that China “certainly” has an interest in “influencing our political thought” and policies and is trying to “shift them into a friendlier, pro-China, pro-Chinese communist party line.” He warned that those efforts sometimes “wrap up in election problems.”
Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, Schiff, D-Calif., Warned that China could use different ways to influence the elections than Russia and Iran, and told NBC News that the Chinese could use trade negotiations with the US
But a spokeswoman for Schiff did not respond to a request from Fox News for comment on whether his commission would submit an investigation into possible Chinese election interference, as the panel did with Russian election campaign efforts – an investigation that ran the Trump administration.
A GOP aide told Fox News that Republicans in the House Intelligence Committee, though, have a handful focused on China dating from previous congressional sessions, noting that China is something “we are very concerned about.”
“We’re looking at it and we’ve never stopped,” GOP aide told Fox News.
The Trump campaign, meanwhile, said the Trump administration had been harsh on Russia, claiming that China and Iran were opposed to Trump because he was with them as well.
“We do not need or want any foreign interference, and President Trump will defeat Joe Biden honestly and plainly,” Trump communications director Tim Murtaugh said in a statement. “The intelligence community’s assessment that both China and Iran are trying to stop President Trump’s election is concerning, but clear because he has held them accountable after years of coddling by politicians like Joe Biden.”
