Entire world is beginning to unite against China, says Mike Pompeo

The entire world is beginning to unite against China's unfair practices and countries like India, Australia, Japan and South Korea are going to partner with the US to push back Beijing on every front

Mike Pompeo
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a press conference. (Source: @SecretaryPompeo)
Press Trust of India Washington
3 min read Last Updated : Sep 03 2020 | 1:33 AM IST

The entire world is beginning to unite against China's unfair practices and countries like India, Australia, Japan and South Korea are going to partner with the US to push back Beijing on every front, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said.

The US is intensifying pressure on China, piling on visa bans, sanctions and other restrictions that are battering the already unsettled ties between the world's two largest economies.

In an interview to Fox News on Tuesday, Pompeo said, "I think you're seeing the entire world begin to unite around the central understanding that the Chinese Communist Party simply is going to refuse to compete in a fair, reciprocal and transparent way."

"So, whether it's our friends in India, our friends in Australia, friends in Japan or South Korea, I think they have all come to see the risk to their own people, to their own countries, and you'll see them partner with the US to push back (China) on every front that we've talked about this evening," he said, responding to a question posed by the host, Lou Dobbs, on India reportedly sending a warship into the South China Sea.

Dobbs said India's act was in response against the clashes on the border with China, and also it appears with some affinity with the US Navy that is in the South China Sea. Dobbs wanted to know the importance of the US relationship with India in meeting the threat from China.

"It's central that we have friends and allies in this battle. We've worked for two years now to build that out. We've made real progress. You've seen lots of countries turn away from Huawei. You've seen them acknowledge the threat. They slept on this threat the same way America did for two decades, Pompeo said.

Beijing claims almost all of the 1.3 million square mile South China Sea as its sovereign territory. China has been building military bases on artificial islands in the region also claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

India has been maintaining that the South China Sea is a "part of global commons" and it firmly stands for the freedom of navigation and overflight in these international waterways.

The US had also categorically rejected the territorial claims made by Beijing in the South China Sea, asserting that the "Chinese predatory world view" has no place in the 21st century.

During the interview, Pompeo said America slept while China grew.

"You talked about their missile systems, their military, all the things that have grown...the trade issues, all the economic issues that you've talked about on your show for months and months and months now.

"President (Donald) Trump is taking each of these on in a serious way, and I think you see the rhetoric from the Chinese Communist Party ratcheting up because they are feeling the pressure that's being put on them by this administration," he said.

Noting that the ruling Chinese Communist Party made some choices under its General Secretary Xi Jinping, Pompeo said he has made it clear whether it's his military buildup, the diplomatic efforts, the Belt and Road Initiative to try and create vassal states, a tyrannical regime all around the world for global hegemony -- the challenges are different.

President Trump will push back against China on every one of these fronts, he asserted.

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

Topics :US ChinaMike PompeoUSAChina

First Published: Sep 02 2020 | 12:35 PM IST

Next Story