United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he believes the world will make China “pay a price” for the coronavirus pandemic.
“I think the world will make them pay absolutely a price,” Pompeo told The Hill during a virtual summit.
“Everywhere I go, every foreign minister I speak to, they recognize what China has done to the world,” Pompeo said. “I am very confident that the world will look at China differently and engage with them fundamentally differently than they did before this catastrophic disaster.”
The coronavirus, believed to have originated in Wuhan, China, has caused a global pandemic that infects nearly 13.5 million and kills 581,097 people.
THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE IMPOSES SANCTIONS ON THE EMPLOYEES OF CHINESE TECHNICAL COMPANIES, INCLUDING HUAWEI
The Trump administration has suggested for months that they can take steps to punish China for its lack of transparency around the virus outbreak.
Pompeo echoed this sentiment on Wednesday, saying the Trump administration’s policy on China is “to ensure that we have a fair and reciprocal set of relations with the Chinese Communist Party.”
Pompeo has openly voiced his criticism of China, and the administration has made several pronouncements this week straining an already strained relationship, including legislation that President Trump signed on Tuesday, imposing sanctions on China for its interference in Hong Kong’s autonomy.
Pompeo also criticized China for its actions in the South China Sea and accused them of running a “bullying campaign to control” marine resources and energy development.
The secretary’s comments were the first time that the United States challenged China’s legal authority in the region, calling its actions “completely illegal.”
“The United States supports our allies and partners in Southeast Asia in protecting their sovereign rights to extraterritorial resources, in accordance with their rights and obligations under international law,” said Pompeo.
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China retaliated against US involvement in the area by imposing sanctions on Lockheed Martin Corp. after the Defense Department and State Department approved a proposal to sell missiles to Taiwan.
“We had an American company that did business that was consistent with American foreign policy,” Pompeo told reporters on Wednesday.
“I regret that the Chinese Communist Party chose to make that threat against Lockheed Martin.”
Pompeo also applauded the UK’s decision this week to terminate its agreement to partially work with Huawei to develop its 5G capabilities, a move directly related to pressure from the United States.
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US security officials had previously warned their British allies that they would likely cut all intelligence sharing practices if the United Kingdom fosters a relationship with the Chinese telecommunications company.
“This is a Chinese Communist Party acting in a way that poses real threats to the world, and the United States will respond in each of those places to ensure that it preserves American national security and imposes costs on the Chinese Communist.” Party to achieve behavior change that will have a good result, “Pompeo said Wednesday.
