ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE — U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday brushed aside a Wall Street Journal report that Iran acquired satellite images of a base in Jordan from Chinese entities before a July attack that killed three U.S. troops there, Reuters reported.
Asked whether he would raise the issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping at a planned September 24 meeting, Trump equated Chinese and American surveillance. “They basically do what we do,” he told reporters. “When they say China spies on us, I say you’re right and we spy on them too.”
The Journal report, which Reuters could not independently verify, said U.S. officials declined to identify the Chinese entities and did not allege direct involvement by Beijing. China on Monday said it “firmly oppose[s] unfounded suspicions and accusations made without evidence,” foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said.
Trump reiterated that he has a good relationship with Xi and said China had “behaved reasonably well.” At least 18 U.S. service members have been killed since the U.S.–Israeli war with Iran began at the end of February.
Sources: Reuters
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