Chinese Foreign Ministry denies Beijing's meddling in US election
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The DNI intelligence assessment issued on Monday accuses Chinese "influence actors" of exploiting social media to incite divides in the United States.
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Voting booths are set up at a polling place in Newtown, Pa., on April 23, 2024. (AP)
China has never intervened and will never meddle in the US presidential election, a Foreign Ministry official said on Tuesday, after the US intelligence community accused China, Russia, and Iran of attempting to influence the race.
Lin Jian told reporters during a press conference that "China has never interfered and is not going to interfere in the US election. We object to the United States spreading false information and smearing China."
The DNI intelligence assessment issued on Monday said that agents tied to Beijing may "seek to denigrate down-ballot candidates it sees as threatening its core interests." It also accused Chinese "influence actors" of exploiting social media to incite divides in the United States.
Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov slammed the US Director of National Intelligence's intervention allegations against Russia as ludicrous, while Iran's delegation to the United Nations accused the US of attempting to "artificially pep up election campaigns."
China warned Monday the United States and Japan to "stop inventing imaginary enemies" following their statement directed at China during talks in Tokyo.
"We strongly urge the US and Japan to immediately stop interfering in China's internal affairs and stop creating imaginary enemies," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said.
After discussions in Tokyo on Sunday, US and Japanese officials criticized what they described as Beijing's "destabilizing actions" in the South China Sea. They also condemned what they perceive as Russia's increasing military cooperation with China and DPRK.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and their Japanese counterpart expressed their firm objections to "China's illegal maritime claims, the militarization of reclaimed areas, and its provocative activities in the South China Sea," according to a joint statement.
US government employees fear presidential elections uncertainty
Many US federal workers are experiencing heightened anxiety due to the uncertainty surrounding the November presidential elections, as reported by Politico. This rose especially after President Joe Biden announced he would not be running, leaving the Democrats without an official candidate.
According to the newspaper, two current and one former employee of the US Department of Agriculture revealed that during the debate between former President Trump and Biden, department employees exchanged messages expressing panic about Biden and his administration's future. The report added that some employees are already openly expressing their readiness to leave their positions without waiting for the election results.
The newspaper reported that civil servants are less worried about Biden's ability to win the election and more concerned about the possibility of Trump returning to power and the implications of a new Trump administration.
"The first rendition of the Trump administration was really, really difficult, and we saw a mass exodus of employees retiring," a US Park Service employee said, adding that "if we do have an administration shift, other employees will also reconsider their positions and move to the private sector."
Since Joe Biden's endorsement, Kamala Harris has raised $200 million. This surge in funding indicates increased enthusiasm for her campaign.
The Harris for President campaign reported that approximately 66% of the total contributions came from first-time donors, reflecting what they described as “unprecedented grassroots support.”
On Sunday, former vice president and climate activist Al Gore endorsed Harris. Additionally, more than 170,000 volunteers have signed up to support her campaign through phone banking, canvassing, and other get-out-the-vote efforts, said Michael Tyler, the campaign’s communications director.
