Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told lawmakers on Thursday that “the situation is changing” in China, as the United States has led the push to increase international pressure on the Communist regime on issues from property theft to international surveillance. and the repression of Chinese liberties in Hong Kong. Kong
“We see the Chinese Communist Party also for what it is: the central threat of our times. Our vigorous diplomacy has helped lead an international awakening to the CCP threat, ”Pompeo said at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the State Department budget. “Senators, the situation is changing.”
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The Trump administration has been increasing pressure against Chinese influence worldwide since the COVID-19 outbreak, which started in China, and has filed allegations that the government covered up the severity of the virus until it was too late and the virus spread. turned into a virus. global pandemic.
Pompeo said that as part of that effort, more than 30 countries and territories have become 5G “clean countries” by banning unreliable Chinese sellers from their 5G networks. The UK recently announced that it had changed its stance to allow Huawei to enter its networks, a move praised by the United States.
He also noted countries’ support for denouncing China’s national security law, which is being used to crack down on freedoms in Hong Kong. He then cited Australia’s opposition to Chinese movements in the South China Sea, as well as other countries that took steps to reject Chinese security threats.
“Momentum is being built to mitigate CCP threats in multilateral settings as well,” he said. “The 10 ASEAN nations have insisted that disputes in the South China Sea must be resolved on the basis of international law, including [United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea]. Japan led the G7 condemnation of China’s national security law aimed at Hong Kong. The EU also condemned the law and also declared China a ‘systemic rival’ last year. “
He went on to say that “on the United States side, no administration, Republican or Democrat, has been as aggressive in confronting China’s evil actions as President Trump’s.”
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“The Justice Department is cracking down on the Chinese [intellectual property] Stole. We have sanctioned Chinese leaders for their brutality in Xinjiang, imposed export controls on companies that support it, and warned US companies against the use of slave labor in their supply chains, “he said.
He also cited the United States’ steps to close a Chinese consulate in Houston, calling it a “spy den” and the termination of special arrangements for Hong Kong.
The hearing comes a day after Big Tech CEOs were questioned at a House hearing, and were frequently asked questions related to Chinese influence and their connections to the Chinese government.
Pompeo said it was “clearly evident to anyone who is observing that the Chinese are involved in intense efforts to steal intelligence property, including technology.”
Elsewhere, Democrats in the Senate asked him about accusations that Russia had paid rewards to Taliban fighters for killing US troops in Afghanistan.
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Senator Bob Menéndez, DN.J., asked Pompeo if he had raised the issue with Russian officials, and Pompeo said he had raised “all the problems that endanger Americans” with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Pompeo later pointed to military action taken against 300 Russian mercenaries advancing against US forces in Syria in 2019. Those fighters “are no longer on this planet,” Pompeo said.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
