Mike Pompeo: Free world must change China or China will change us

US Secretary of state called for countries to triumph over Beijing’s ‘new tyranny’
AP

Mike Pompeo has called on “free nations” to triumph over the threat of a “new tyranny” from China, describing it as the “mission of our time”.

The US Secretary of State said it may be time for a “new alliance of democracies,” saying: "If the free world doesn't change, Communist China will surely change us."

In a major speech delivered after Washington's surprise order this week for China to close its Houston consulate, Mr Pompeo repeated frequently levelled US charges about Beijing's unfair trade practices, human rights abuses and efforts to infiltrate American society.

He said China's military had became "stronger and more menacing" and the approach to China should be "distrust and verify," adapting President Ronald Reagan's "trust but verify" mantra about the Soviet Union in the 1980s.

"The truth is that our policies and those of other free nations a resurrected China’s failing economy, only to see Beijing bite the international hands that were feeding it," Mr Pompeo said.

"We, the freedom-loving nations of the world must induce China to change ... in more creative and assertive ways, because Beijing’s actions threaten our people and our prosperity,” he added.

Mr Pompeo said "securing our freedoms from the Chinese Communist Party is the mission of our time," and said America was perfectly positioned to lead it.

He said one NATO ally, which he did not name, was unwilling to stand up for freedom on Hong Kong because it feared restricted access to China's market.

Mr Pompeo’s speech followed a visit to the UK, in which he turned up the heat on China and praised the UK government for banning Huawei from its 5G network.

It comes at a time when US-China relations have dipped to their lowest point in decades.

President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden have appeared to compete with each other over who can appear toughest towards Beijing ahead of the election in November.

Ties have deteriorated over issues ranging from the coronavirus pandemic, which began in China, to Beijing trade and business practices, its territorial claims in the South China Sea and its clampdown on Hong Kong.

In a dramatic escalation, Washington on Tuesday gave China 72 hours to close its Houston consulate amid allegations of widespread spying.

Mr Pompeo said the consulate had been "a hub of spying and intellectual property theft."

China said the US move had "severely harmed" relations and warned it "must" retaliate, without detailing what it would do.

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