According to estimates by the US counter-espionage, China is hoping for an election defeat for Trump. Russia and Iran should also try to influence the election - but with a different goal.
- The US counterintelligence has spoken about a possible influence on the US election by other countries.
- China therefore hopes that Donald Trump will lose the election.
- The head of the anti-spinage center also gave information about the role of Russia and Iran.
As the National Center for Counterintelligence and Security (NCSC) announced, prior to the November 3rd US election , “foreign states will continue to use covert and overt methods of influence to influence the preferences and perspectives of US voters to change US policy To exacerbate discord in the US and undermine popular trust in our democratic process. ”William Evanina, who heads the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC), said in a public statement. Attacks on the election infrastructure are also to be expected. Evanina said he was briefing the public about the possible influence of China , Russiaand Iran so that citizens could play a "central role" in protecting the elections .
Accordingly, China hopes that the US president will have the election *loses in November. "We believe that China wants President Trump , whom Beijing sees as unpredictable, not to be re-elected," said Evanina. China is trying harder to influence the political environment in the US before the elections , as the intelligence chief emphasized. In addition, the country is trying to divert attention from criticism against itself and to put politicians under pressure who, in China's view, are acting to the detriment of the country.
The Chinese government recently relied on sharper rhetoric against the USA on various issues , such as the coronavirus pandemic, the autonomy of Hong Kong , the Tiktok video platform and 5G technology. "Beijing recognizes that all of these efforts could affect the presidential race," writes Evanina.
Relations between Washington and Beijing are already strained by trade disputes and have deteriorated enormously in recent months. Trump * and his government are taking action against the Chinese government with increasing severity. Critics also accuse the president of tactical elections. Trump , for example, repeatedly accuses his rival Biden of adopting an overly indulgent stance towards China .
US election 2020: Russia and Iran should also have an influence
Also about the intentions of Russia , the US counter-intelligence assessments were known: Russia trying Biden * to "denigrate" said Evanina. The former vice president is seen as part of the anti-Russian "establishment".
A pro-Russian Ukrainian MP spread corruption allegations against Biden with the aim of undermining his presidential candidacy, the intelligence chief said. “Actors with ties to the Kremlin” also tried to support Trump's candidacy for re-election “on online networks and on Russian television” .
Russia is trying to undermine the Democratic candidate Joe Biden. China and Iran apparently want to prevent Donald Trump from being re-elected. https://t.co/r0FTmjmtZW
- Handelsblatt (@handelsblatt) August 7, 2020Even with the election in 2016 was Russia in the opinion of US intelligence tried, choosing to Trumps * affecting advantage, including through an online campaign. Trump has always rejected this.
US election 2020 / Donald Trump: The role of Iran
Tehran's goal, according to the US counterintelligence, " to undermine democratic institutions in the USA and President Trump and to divide the country" before the elections . The Iranian leadership assumes that if he is re-elected, Trump will continue to exert pressure for a regime change in Tehran. Under Trump , the United States unilaterally withdrew from the international nuclear deal with Iran and imposed new sanctions on the country. (dpa) * Merkur.de and tz.de are part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editorial network.
List of rubric lists: © Susan Walsh / AP / dpa
