Trump's evolving China rhetoric raises eyebrows over TikTok strategy amid scorching election meddling warning
President Donald Trump is striking a noticeably softer tone toward China just days after delivering a public address to the nation accusing Beijing of "sinister election meddling."The fresh set of...
By Fox News · Fox News
President Donald Trump is striking a noticeably softer tone toward China just days after delivering a public address to the nation accusing Beijing of "sinister election meddling." The fresh set of accusations levied on July 16 raised new questions about the Trump administration's posture towards China, especially as it moves to keep TikTok operating in the U.S. while warning against the hostility of the world power against America. "President Trump just told the nation that China tried to influence the 2020 election and weaken his presidency. During that same year, the intelligence community identified TikTok as a primary vector of CCP influence in the United States," Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Michael Sobolik, who specializes in U.S.–China relations, told Fox News Digital. "Beijing still controls the algorithm, which means that the very dangers Trump raised persist today," Sobolik added. TRUMP'S ELECTION INTEGRITY SPEECH: 7 TAKEAWAYS EVERY AMERICAN SHOULD KNOW Trump has long taken a hard line on China, using tariffs, trade pressure and national security warnings to frame Beijing as one of America's chief adversaries. In his recent address to the nation, the president accused the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) of running a "sinister" campaign to interfere in U.S. elections and influence Americans and undermine his presidency. Yet just five days later, on July 21, Trump suggested "China is maybe a little bit different today." It struck a softer tone that falls more in line with the president's backing of a deal to keep TikTok operating in the U.S., despite seeking during his first term and at the start of his second to force the app out over national security concerns. "The CCP hasn’t changed. Xi Jinping hasn’t changed. But President Trump has," Soblik detailed. "He’s much more conciliatory toward China in his second term than he was in his first. He risks telegraphing significant weakness to Xi by letting China off the hook." Trump downplayed Beijing's past ele…