ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE, Sept 13 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump downplayed a report that Chinese entities provided satellite imagery of a Jordanian base to Iran prior to an attack that killed three U.S. troops there in July.
A recent Wall Street Journal report cited unnamed U.S. officials regarding the Jordan incident. When asked if he would raise the matter with Chinese President Xi Jinping at their upcoming meeting, Trump did not directly respond, instead drawing a parallel between espionage activities.
“They basically do what we do,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One. “When they say China spies on us, I say you’re right and we spy on them too.”
The Chinese and U.S. presidents are expected to meet in the United States on September 24, although China has not yet confirmed the meeting.
Trump reiterated his positive view of his relationship with Xi during his return flight from a weekend trip to Ireland.
“I think he’s behaved reasonably well, and we behave reasonably well,” Trump said.
The Wall Street Journal report, which Reuters could not immediately verify, stated that U.S. officials did not name the Chinese entities involved in providing imagery to Iran and did not accuse Beijing of direct participation.
Trump’s remarks align with the administration’s efforts to minimize tensions between Washington and Beijing, despite U.S. concerns over China’s close ties to Tehran.
