Pompeo accuses China of 'bullying', COVID-19 'cover-up' and 'coopting' WHO in London visit

On July 21, US state secretary Mike Pompeo accused China of “bullying” the smaller island nations in disputed waters of the South China Sea and urged for an international coalition to “push back” the Asian giant. Pompeo’s comments were made during his visit to London amid heightened tensions as he held meeting with British PM Boris Johnson and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab. In his address at a press conference, Pompeo welcomed UK measures over Huawei and Hong Kong and accused China of "a cover-up and co-opting" the World Health Organisation.  

Further, Trump's foreign affairs chief said that China suppressed “early preventable details” of coronavirus that claimed more than 6 million lives globally. "We have seen Hong Kong's freedoms crushed and watched the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) bully its neighbours. I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the British Government for its principled response to these challenges,” US State Secretary said in a live-streamed press conference in Lancaster House, London.  

Further, launching an attack on China about the novel coronavirus pandemic, Pompeo said, “The CCP's exploitation of this disaster to further its own interests has been disgraceful. Rather than helping the world, General Secretary Xi has shown the world the party's true face.” The top American diplomat blamed China for the global health emergency situation and accused the Asian country of “exploiting” the pandemic in his address at the Whitehall press conference. He said China’s behaviour has been “disgraceful”.

Read: Indonesia To Conduct Exercises In South China Sea Amid China's Expansion Tactics

Read: South China Sea Dispute: Philippines Asks China To Comply With 2016 Arbitral Ruling

Hong Kong, Huawei and Human Rights abuses

Moreover, citing the global COVID-19 caseload due to China’s neglect, Pompeo condemned the Chinese President Xi Jinping, calling him “two-faced "as he further intensified his slander, saying, that China stole the US “intellectual property”. He urged all nations in the world to come together, cooperate, and force China to change course. US diplomat flew to London to display US-UK bilateral ties and support amid UK’s escalating standoff with China over Hong Kong, Huawei and Human Rights abuses of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang., as per the reports. While he held cross-party talks with UK’s MPs, he also held a meeting with Boris Johnson, followed by a lunch with Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab. Pompeo later went on to hold a meeting with the former Hong Kong governor Lord Patten and the leader of the Labour Party Sir Keir Starmer. 

Read: Myanmar: US-China Embassies Get Into A War Of Words Over South China Sea, Hong Kong

Read: Pentagon Slams Beijing For Conducting Military Drills In Disputed South China Sea

(Image Credit: Twiiter/ Mike Pompeo)