China knew all along how virulent coronavirus was, says Mike Pompeo

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday said that the Chinese Communist Party knew how virulent COVID-19 that originated in Wuhan was adding that Beijing censored and made courageous whistleblowers who tried to sound the alarm disappear.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday said that the Chinese Communist Party knew how virulent COVID-19 was that originated in Wuhan adding that Beijing "censored and disappeared courageous whistleblowers who tried to sound the alarm".

"The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) knew how virulent the coronavirus was that originated in Wuhan. They censored and disappeared courageous whistleblowers and journalists who tried to sound the alarm. They allowed people from Wuhan to travel abroad," Pompeo said at an address in Wisconsin.

He further accused the CCP of having a sinister vision of engagement and wants to make Americans receptive to its authoritarianism.

"The CCP has a much more sinister vision of engagement. The Party and its proxies aim to make Americans receptive to Beijing's form of authoritarianism. I say "CCP" because I want to draw a distinction between China's leaders and the Chinese people, who just want to live in freedom, peace, and prosperity...whose vibrancy is also evident in the many Chinese-American communities wonderfully woven into the fabric of America," Pompeo added.

Pompeo further said that in August, the General Secretary of the CCP, Xi Jinping, told a group of government economists and sociologists in Beijing that China must actively develop cooperation with all countries, regions and enterprises willing to cooperate with Beijing, including states, localities and enterprises in the United States.

"As Secretary of State and the former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, allow me to translate. Xi knows that the federal government is pushing back again the CCP's malign influence. He sees that here in the US, and increasingly, around the world. General Secretary Xi thinks you're the weak link. For him, 'cooperation' and 'opening-up' mean the CCP wants to create arrangements that only benefit the CCP," he said.

Pompeo added, "We know that because, for decades, the CCP deployed friendly language while stealing from our innovators, building military strength, and co-opting our elites."

Pompeo further said that this "wasn't" Cold War calling the CCP's efforts as "more sophisticated, multi-layered, and nuanced" however added that the people are "starting to have these conversations".

"This isn't the Cold War. It's different in kind. The CCP's effort is more sophisticated, multi-layered, and nuanced. That's why we have to have a conversation in our state legislatures about this China challenge. The good news is that we're starting to have these conversations, and not a moment too soon," the Secretary of State said.

Pompeo pointed out that the CCP campaigns targeting state-level officials, and local interests, have been in full swing for years, and they're increasing in intensity.

"The Trump administration rejects the idea Beijing is destined for hegemony. No top-down totalitarian regime can ever best the ingenuity, will, and power of the American people... Democrat or Republican, you have a friend in the Trump Administration to help you push back against the CCP's exploitation of our open society," he added.