US President Donald Trump has dismissed a report that Chinese companies provided Iran with satellite imagery of a US military base in Jordan ahead of an attack that killed three American service members in July.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing US officials who spoke on condition of anonymity, that Iran had obtained satellite images of the military facility from Chinese companies before the attack.
Asked whether he would raise the issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping at their expected meeting later this month, Trump did not directly answer. Instead, he said China essentially carries out the same type of intelligence activities as the United States.
“They basically do what we do,” Trump told reporters.
When asked whether China spies on the United States, Trump replied, “You’re right, and we spy on them.”
Trump and Xi are expected to meet in the United States on September 24, although Beijing has not yet officially confirmed the meeting.
Speaking to reporters while returning to the United States after a visit to Ireland, Trump again highlighted his relationship with Xi, describing it positively despite ongoing strategic tensions between Washington and Beijing.
US officials have not identified the Chinese companies that allegedly supplied the satellite imagery to Iran. The Wall Street Journal report also did not allege that the Chinese government was directly involved in providing the images.
The reported satellite imagery is believed to have concerned the US military facility in Jordan, where three US service members were killed in an attack in July.
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