The official said the intelligence, which the Trump administration will release classified, was provided to the president in his daily memo on December 17. The official said his National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien discussed the information with the president on the same day.
Trump has yet to summon Russia publicly on the issue.
While it is unclear whether President-elect Joe Biden had access to the intelligence, he has had access to the same intelligence since receiving the President’s Daily Brief.
A Biden transitional official told CNN that while they would not speak to the alleged intelligence reports, nor the motive behind “releasing what is said to be unconfirmed information, the” president-elect “has no greater concern about the safety of serving our members” and will hold accountable anyone offering Americans At risk.
“Our teams will seek to know as much as possible about these allegations from the outgoing administration, and this is further evidence of why we need full cooperation, including from the Ministry of Defense,” the official added, referring to the controversial transition process. Controversial. Between incoming Biden and outgoing Trump defense officials.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
News of China offering funds for attacks on US forces comes as China awaits whether Biden will adopt Trump’s more punitive policies toward the nation or move to restore ties between Washington and Beijing.
Diplomacy under the Obama and Biden administrations was mostly directed at attempts to cooperate with China, rather than confrontation. But there is evidence that Biden’s views have changed in recent years in line with the changing mood in Washington, as Beijing is increasingly seen not as a potential partner for America, but as its primary competitor.
The Biden campaign website criticizes technology companies “facilitating repression in China,” and has promised foreign policy “to pressure China – the world’s largest carbon exporter – to stop subsidizing coal exports and to outsource their pollution to other countries.”
“To win the competition for the future against China or anyone else, we must sharpen our innovative edge and unify the economic strength of democracies around the world to counter abusive economic practices,” the report said.
A Biden campaign advertisement in June accused Trump of “playing” China. During the Democratic primary in February, Biden referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping as “the thug,” and said Beijing should “abide by the rules.”
This story has been updated with additional background information.
Ben Westcott, Paul LeBlanc, Nick Patton Walsh, Veronica Stracowallorsi, Radina Gigova, Barbara Starr, Devan Cole, and Sarah Westwood contributed to this report.