US government watching China on economic development programs
MANILA – US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo said the American government watches China on how they deploy their economic toolkit.
Speaking at a teleconference Thursday evening in Manila (Thursday morning in Washington), Secretary Pompeo said the world has taken notice when “the Chinese show up with PPE, it’s not likely to work and “it comes with strings attached to it.”
Responding to a question from a participant from Zimbabwe, Mr. Pompeo said when the United States shows up with humanitarian assistance, “it is indeed just that.” He explained the United States remain the largest contributor of development assistance throughout the African continent. He underscored the Trump administration’s belief to help the people inside Africa.
“When the Chinse do it, it’s always in exchange for something. It is transactional. It is designed to further the – line the pockets of regime leadership, and it is almost always not consistent with transparency and the rule of law,” he said. He added many African countries have seen this and that the Chinese bribe someone inside of the country.
Secretary Pompeo said the commitment that the Chinese Communist Party made to deliver, whether a road or a bridge or an infrastructure like a dam, “it turns out that they were often sold a true bill of goods.”
During the same teleconference, Secretary Pompeo said the State Department Commission on Unalienable Rights will release its restatement of how the United States looks at human rights and their inalienable rights and the role of the US in preserving those rights.
He said the United States play a role “in the world in preserving those rights for all people who are made in the image of God.” He said the report will be released in a week’s time.
Asked about US-Viet Nam relations, the Secretary of State said they are one with their Vietnamese friends in pushing for a common path forward as they face “very serious challenges” from the Chinese Communist Party to Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific region.
He said Viet Nam will receive foreign direct investments from the United States as supply chains move out of China because of “political unrest” and decisions business leaders are expected to make due to risks in thee production and manufacture of supply chains to deliver products worldwide.
Secretary Pompeo said Vietnam is posed to receive foreign direct investments from the United States as supply chains move out of China because of “political unrest” and decisions business leaders are expected to make because of risks in the production and manufacture for supply chains to deliver products worldwide.
Secretary Pompeo said they recognize the challenge to the region from the Chinese Communist Party in every dimension, “it’s diplomatically, it’s economically, it’s militarily.” He added they have recognize the need for a global coalition against the theft of intellectual property because the threat is “incredibly real.”
He said what is needed is “a true global coalition of people who understand this challenge” by talking with G7 and ASEAN partners geared towards the “development of multilateral understanding how to protect free and open transportation, shipping commerce, rule of law, all the things that authoritarian regimes like China cannot tolerate because it’s inconsistent with their model.” (Melo M. Acuña)
US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo (right) in a file photo during his visit to Manila last March 1,2019. (Melo M. Acuna)
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