Newly released intelligence documents on Thursday allege China sought to inflame racial tensions during the 2020 election by encouraging Black Lives Matter-related unrest and exploiting divisions between Americans to hurt Trump’s likelihood of reelection. According to the assessment, Chinese operatives planned to amplify protests, increase conflict, and spread messaging designed to deepen the nation’s political and social divides.

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The documents, released by the White House, also claim the intelligence was never shared with President Donald Trump at the time.

From the Federalist:

Intelligence summaries from 2020, which were apparently hidden from the president at the time, show that the Chinese planned on “encouraging violent demonstrations and looting to increase the appearance of social unrest” ahead of the election, and to “exploit U.S. societal fissures and vulnerabilities,” in part by “alleging that White people hate Black people.” The Chinese were interested in “inciting demonstrations and marches as evidence of racial divides; increasing the level of conflict between police and anti-racism activists; and feeding any sense that U.S. law enforcement resents USG and people of color,” according to one intelligence summary from a “sensitive government agency.”

The document stated that “China had developed capabilities to project themes on these topics into social media (Tiktok, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and others), as well as mainstream media through a variety of overt and hidden influencers and media contributors.”

In September 2020, The Heritage Foundation highlighted the possibility of Chinese influence in the BLM riots. Heritage noted that 95 percent of the riots were linked to BLM and pointed out evidence that Chinese activist groups were funding them, stating, “The U.S. government should connect the dots and investigate the extent of the Chinese Communist Party’s support for the Black Lives Matter organization and the riots.”

U.S. intelligence agencies have repeatedly warned that adversarial nations—including China, Russia, and Iran—seek to amplify existing divisions within American society to advance their own strategic interests.

Axios pushed back on claims that China was connected to Black Lives Matter-related unrest. After The Heritage Foundation called on the federal government to investigate whether the Chinese Communist Party had supported BLM activism and the riots, Axios published an article just weeks before the 2020 election disputing those allegations.

Axios publicly supported employees who chose to participate in racial justice protests. According to an email from CEO Jim VandeHei, the company encouraged staff to exercise their right to protest and said it would help cover bail or medical expenses for employees who were arrested or injured while demonstrating.

Scripture calls us to pursue truth, wisdom, and unity. If foreign governments are working to inflame division within the United States, Christians should recognize that discord can become a powerful tool in the hands of America’s adversaries. Let us pray that God will protect our nation from foreign interference such as China’s that divides, that President Trump will have the wisdom to stand against China and stop their meddling, and that the American people will wake up to these realities.

How are you praying for truth, discernment, and unity in America? Share your scriptures and prayers in the comments below.

(Excerpt from the Federalist. Photo Credit: Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)