WASHINGTON (Reuters) – United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday that “the situation is changing” in the United States’ dealings with China, saying there is international support for American policies, even when he said he was dismayed at the number of countries supporting Beijing’s new security. law for Hong Kong.
Reflecting mounting tensions between Washington and Beijing, Pompeo took a hard line with China in testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
“We see the Chinese Communist Party for what it is: the central threat of our time,” Pompeo said.
He said other countries are supporting American initiatives like the urge not to use Huawei Technologies Co Ltd [HWT.UL] equipment in 5G networks and intensified maritime maneuvers in the South China Sea.
“Our vigorous diplomacy has helped lead an international awakening to the CCP threat. Senators, the situation is changing, “said Pompeo.
Washington and Beijing recently closed one of the other consulates and Pompeo recently announced the end of Hong Kong’s special trade status.
However, Pompeo also pointed out the difficulty of forming an international alliance, given China’s economic strength. He said he was “surprised and shocked” by the number of countries that supported Beijing’s crackdown on Hong Kong’s autonomy.
Pompeo declined to directly address reports that Russia offered rewards for killing US soldiers in Afghanistan. “The right people have been aware of all the threats to our soldiers on the ground in Afghanistan,” he said, in response to a question from Senator Bob Menéndez, the top Democratic committee.
He defended the administration’s decision to withdraw thousands of troops from Germany. Republican Senator Mitt Romney said he had spoken to senior German officials who considered the withdrawal “an insult to Germany.”
Pompeo publicly testified at a Foreign Relations Committee hearing for the first time since April 2019, discussing the State Department’s budget.
President Donald Trump’s administration has tried to cut spending on diplomacy since he took office, something rejected by Congress each year.
Committee Democrats released a report this week harshly criticizing Pompeo’s rule in the state, saying it had hurt diplomacy by leaving jobs open for months, treating career diplomats poorly, and promoting a culture of retaliation.
Lawmakers asked Pompeo about Trump’s abrupt firing in May of Steve Linick, the State Department’s inspector general, while investigating arms sales to Saudi Arabia and allegations that Pompeo incorrectly ordered a taxpayer-funded subordinate to take care of personal errands.
Pompeo denied wrongdoing and repeated previous claims that Linick had leaked information incorrectly.
Reports by Patricia Zengerle and Daphne Psaledakis; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Jonathan Oatis
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