China blasts ‘unfounded smears’ as Trump’s election claims threaten diplomatic thaw

Donald Trump alleges Beijing stole 220 million voter files, in a prime-time speech potentially clouding Xi Jinping’s planned US visit 4 -MIN READ4 -MIN Listen Published: 10:00pm, 17 Jul 2026Updated: 10:02pm, 17 Jul 2026 US President Donald Trump launched a sharp attack on China late on Thursday (Washington time), accusing Beijing of interfering in US elections in a move that has strained a fragile thaw in ties and cast doubt on future high-level engagements. In a prime-time address from the White House that lasted nearly 30 minutes, Trump accused China of orchestrating “what is believed to be the largest compromise…