China on Tuesday accused the United States of sowing discord between Beijing and regional countries, as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held high-level talks in New Delhi with a focus on strengthening bilateral defense and strategic ties.
Pompeo arrived in India on Monday along with Defense Secretary Mark T Esper for the third edition of the 2 + 2 dialogue between the United States and India with his counterparts, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. .
Pompeo must visit Sri Lanka and the Maldives after his trip to India.
Pompeo offered his support to India, mentioning the killing of Indian army soldiers in the Galwan Valley of eastern Ladakh after a clash with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in June.
“We visited the National War Memorial to honor the brave men and women of the Indian armed forces who sacrificed themselves for the world’s largest democracy, including 20 killed by the PLA in the Galwan Valley. The United States will support India as they face threats to their sovereignty and freedom, ”Pompeo said in a joint statement after the 2 + 2 India-US Ministerial Dialogue.
In Beijing, the Chinese Foreign Ministry was specifically asked to comment on Pompeo’s visit, given that it had previously said it will focus on the threats posed by China.
In his response, ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin did not specifically mention India, but attacked Pompeo’s remarks against China.
“Pompeo’s attacks and accusations against China are nothing new,” Wang said.
“These are baseless accusations that reflect that he clings to the Cold War mentality and its ideological biases. We urge you to abandon the Cold War and zero-sum game mentality and stop sowing discord between China and the countries of the region, as well as undermining regional peace and stability. “
Wang’s remarks were made in the context of India and the United States signing the historic Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) that will allow the sharing of high-end military technology, classified satellite data and critical information between the two countries.
Pompeo further said in New Delhi on Tuesday: “The United States and India are taking steps to strengthen our cooperation against all kinds of threats and not just those posed by the Chinese Communist Party. Last year, we expanded our cooperation on cyber issues, our navies have conducted joint exercises in the Indian Ocean. “
China will closely follow the Malabar naval exercise between the navies of the US, Japan, India and Australia in November; The thinking in Beijing is that an anti-China Indo-Pacific maritime security structure is gradually taking shape.
In July, Pompeo had criticized China for its aggressive moves against its neighbors, including “instigating” a deadly confrontation with India in eastern Ladakh.
“The recent clashes started by the PLA are just the latest examples of the unacceptable behavior of the Chinese Communist Party. It is important that democracies like ours work together, especially since we see more clearly than ever the true scope of the challenge posed by the Chinese Communist Party, ”he had said.
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