BEIJING—By claiming without offering proof that China is interfering in the U.S. midterm elections, President Trump not only escalated bilateral tensions, but he also provided ammunition to senior Communist Party members who say his real intention is to stop China’s ascent as a global power.
Mr. Trump’s allegation, delivered as he led a United Nations Security Council meeting Wednesday, opened a new rhetorical front in the burgeoning trade dispute. In the past, Mr. Trump has tended to credit China with outsmarting the U.S.
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