Wall Street Journal reports China provided satellite imagery of American base in Jordan before attack that killed three soldiers. Beijing denies involvement, Trump dismisses the story—and compares espionage to what we do to them.
President Donald Trump dismissed a Wall Street Journal report claiming Chinese entities helped Iran obtain satellite imagery of an American base in Jordan before an attack that killed three U.S. soldiers last July.
The report, based on unnamed American officials, noted that sources declined to identify which entities provided the images and did not allege direct involvement by the Chinese government. Nevertheless, the publication triggered a wave of diplomatic responses.
Beijing responded officially to the allegations Monday. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters, "We firmly oppose baseless suspicions and accusations made without evidence." The spokesman added that his country has consistently and strictly fulfilled its international obligations.
When Trump was asked aboard Air Force One whether he would raise the issue at his planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, he drew a comparison between the intelligence operations of both nations. "They basically do what we do," Trump said. "When they say China is spying on us, I say you're right and we're spying on them too."
He reiterated his position that he has a good relationship with the Chinese leader, saying "I think he's behaved pretty well, and we're behaving pretty well." The leaders are expected to meet in the United States on September 24, 2026, though Beijing has not yet officially confirmed.
Since the outbreak of war between the United States and Israel against Iran in late February, at least 18 American service members have been killed. Tensions between Washington and Beijing over Iran continue to be a sensitive issue in relations between the two powers.
China maintains economic and diplomatic ties with Iran, but according to previous reports, Beijing has refrained from supplying the Tehran regime with advanced weapons systems for fear of American sanctions and damage to regional stability.
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