Washington DC [USA], US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo on Thursday said that China is the “central threat of our times” but America’s “vigorous diplomacy” led to “an international awakening to the threat of the CCP.”
In testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Pompeo said that “the tide is turning” as now as many as 30-plus countries and territories have become 5G “clean countries.” “We see the Chinese Communist Party for what it is: the central threat of our times. Our vigorous diplomacy has helped lead an international awakening to the threat of the CCP. Senators, the tide is turning…30-plus countries and territories have become 5G Clean Countries banning untrusted 5G vendors from their networks,” he said.
He referred to India banning China-linked apps.
“We’re proud to have stepped up maritime manoeuvres in that body of water alongside friends like Australia, India, Japan, and the UK. India has banned 106 Chinese apps, including TikTok, that threatened its citizens’ privacy and security,” he said.
He said all 10 ASEAN nations have insisted that the South China Sea disputes must be settled on the basis of international law, including UNCLOS.
“Japan led the G7’s condemnation of China’s national security law targeting Hong Kong. The EU condemned the law too, and also declared China a `systemic rival’ last year. We’ve agreed to start a dialogue channel focused solely on China – at the EU’s request. Secretary-General Stoltenberg has called for NATO to make China a greater part of the alliance’s focus,” he said.
Speaking on the Quad, Pompeo said the US, Australia, India, and Japan have reinvigorated the “Quad” grouping.
“The new Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China – many of its members’ European leaders, in addition to Senators Menendez and Rubio – is growing. And for America’s part, no administration, Republican or Democrat, has been as aggressive in confronting China’s malign actions as President Trump. Our Department of Justice is cracking down hard on Chinese IP theft,” he said.
Pompeo said that the momentum is also building to mitigate the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) threats in multilateral settings.
“We’ve sanctioned Chinese leaders for their brutality in Xinjiang, imposed export controls on companies supporting it, and warned US companies against using slave labour in their supply chains. We’ve terminated special treatment agreements with Hong Kong in response to the CCP’s crackdown,” he added. (ANI)
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