Trump Downplays China Link to Deadly Iran Strike

US President Donald Trump downplayed reports that Iran had obtained satellite images of a US military base in Jordan from Chinese entities before a July attack that killed three American soldiers.

The Wall Street Journal cited unnamed US officials, who did not identify the entities that allegedly provided the images or claim that Beijing was directly involved. Reuters was unable to immediately verify the report.

Asked whether he would raise the issue during his planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump did not give a direct answer. Instead, he compared China’s surveillance activities with those of Washington.

“Basically, they’re doing what we do. When people say that China is spying on us, I say that’s true, but we’re spying on them, too,” he told reporters aboard the presidential plane.

The leaders are scheduled to meet in the United States on 24 September, although China has not yet officially confirmed the meeting. Trump also reiterated that he has a good relationship with Xi and that, in his view, both sides are behaving appropriately.

His remarks are in line with the administration’s efforts to defuse tensions with Beijing despite Washington’s dissatisfaction with China’s close ties to Iran.

(Reuters, bak)