Indian and Chinese troops have been locked in a bitter clash in Ladakh since May 5. (File photo)
China’s land claims in Bhutan and the recent foray into Indian lands are indicative of its intentions, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday, adding that Beijing under President Xi Jinping was trying to find out whether other countries were going to back down.
Indian and Chinese troops have been locked in a bitter clash in various areas along the Current Line of Control in eastern Ladakh since May 5. The situation deteriorated last month after clashes in the Galwan Valley that left 20 members of the Indian army dead.
China recently claimed the claim on the Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary in Bhutan at the Council of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and opposed funding for the project.
“I think the actions are completely consistent with what they have been pointing out to the world for decades, it could even be discussed since 1989, but certainly since Secretary General Xi (Jinping) came to power,” Pompeo told members of the Affairs Committee. House Exteriors during a Congressional Hearing on Thursday.
The secretary of state said China has a desire to expand its power and reach.
“They talk about bringing socialism with Chinese characteristics to the world. The claims they have now made for real estate in Bhutan, the foray that took place in India, are indicative of Chinese intentions, and they are testing, investigating the world to see if we are going to face their threats and intimidation, “Pompeo said.
“I am more confident than a year ago that the world is ready to do that. There is much more work to be done, and we must be serious about it,” said the top US diplomat.
In his testimony, Pompeo told lawmakers that India has banned 106 Chinese requests that threaten the privacy and security of its citizens.
“Our diplomatic efforts are working and momentum is building to mitigate the threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party. The 10 ASEAN nations have insisted that disputes in the South China Sea be resolved on the basis of international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea). Japan led the G-7 condemnation of China’s national security law directed at Hong Kong, “he said.
The European Union also condemned the law and also declared China as a systemic rival to us, he said.
At the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Secretary-General Stoltenberg has called for China to be a more important part of that alliance’s approach.
We are leading a multilateral effort to ensure that the United Nations World Intellectual Property Organization elects a director from a country that cares about intellectual property, the secretary of state said.
“Our QUAD (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) – United States, Australia, India and Japan – has been revitalized. We have worked hard on this. Our diplomats have done a wonderful job. I am very proud of the progress they are making. In addition to these efforts multilateral, the Justice Department is cracking down on China’s intellectual property threats, “he said.
The United States sanctioned Chinese leaders for their treatment of Uighur minorities in Xinjiang province, imposed export controls on companies they supported, and warned American companies against the use of slave labor in their supply chains, he said. .
The United States has terminated special treatment agreements with Hong Kong in response to the CCP’s actions to deny freedom to the people of Hong Kong. “We closed our consulate in Houston because it was a den of spies,” he said.
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