BackChina on Mike Pompeo's India visit: 'Stop sowing discord'
In the backdrop of India-China border dispute at the LAC in eastern Ladakh, Pompeo expressed his country's support for India in its efforts to 'defend its sovereignty'After his India visit, Mike Pompeo is due to visit Sri Lanka and the Maldives
PremiumHours after Mike Pompeo sided with India on the Galwan Valley clash saying America "stands with India to deal with any threat", China on Tuesday urged the US Secretary of State to stop sowing discord between Beijing and countries in the region, undermining the regional peace and stability.
In the backdrop of India-China border dispute at the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh, Pompeo expressed his country's support for India in its efforts to "defend its sovereignty".
The US Secretary of State and Defence Secretary Mark T Esper had arrived in India on Monday for crucial and high-level dialogue aimed at boosting defence and security ties between the two countries.
After his India visit, Mike Pompeo is due to visit Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
Asked about Pompeo’s visit to India and other South Asian countries during which the top US diplomat’s focus would be on China’s threats, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a media briefing here that “Pompeo’s attacks and accusations against China are nothing new."
He repeated time and again, Wang said.
On regional peace and stability
“These are groundless accusations which reflect that he is clinging to the Cold War mentality and ideological biases. We urge him to abandon the Cold War and the zero-sum game mentality and stop sowing discord between China and regional countries as well as undermining the regional peace and stability," Wang said.
His remarks came amidst India and the US signing the landmark Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) that will allow sharing of high-end military technology, classified satellite data and critical information between the two countries.
The signing of the long-negotiated BECA between the two strategic partners also signals further boosting of bilateral defence and military ties, and it comes in the backdrop of India's tense border standoff with China in eastern Ladakh.
In August, Pompeo said that China poses a threat to the West that is in some ways “worse" than that posed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
“What’s happening now isn’t Cold War 2.0. The challenge of resisting the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) threat is in some ways worse. The CCP is already enmeshed in our economies, in our politics, in our societies in ways the Soviet Union never was," he had said in a speech to the Czech Senate.
In July, Pompeo criticised China for its aggressive moves against its neighbours, including "instigating" a deadly confrontation with India in eastern Ladakh, saying Beijing cannot threaten countries and bully them in the Himalayas.
“The recent clashes initiated by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) are just the latest examples of the Chinese Communist Party's unacceptable behaviour. It's important that democracies like ours work together, especially as we see more clear than ever the true scope of the challenge posed by the Chinese Communist Party," he said.
"US and India are taking steps to strengthen our cooperation against all manner of threats and not just those posed by Chinese Communist Party. Last year, we have expanded our cooperation on cyber issues, our navies have held joint exercises in Indian ocean," Pompeo added.
Pompeo also visited the National War Memorial to honour brave men and women of Indian armed forces who sacrificed for the world's largest democracy, including 20 killed by PLA in Galwan Valley.
With agency inputs
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!
