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Had ‘very frank’ discussion with China on ‘unprovoked aggression’: Mike Pompeo

The meeting which was kept under wraps till the meeting day, took place amidst tensions between China and the US on a range of issues.

Had ‘very frank’ discussion with China on ‘unprovoked aggression’: Mike Pompeo

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a press conference at the State Department in Washington, DC on June 24, 2020. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / POOL / AFP)

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday said that he had a very frank discussion with his Chinese counterpart Wang Jiechi about the “unprovoked aggression” by Beijing on a number of fronts.

Last week, during the meeting in Hawaii, Pompeo said he also pressed for “more transparency” from China on the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic for the good of the world.

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The meeting which was kept under wraps till the meeting day, took place amidst tensions between China and the US on a range of issues.

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On Wednesday, at a press briefing, Pompeo told media, “I met with Yang Jiechi last week in Hawaii. We had a very frank discussion about the Chinese Communist Party’s unprovoked aggression on a number of fronts and I pressed him for more transparency on COVID for the good of the world,

“We’re concerned by Beijing’s behaviour and we’re not the only ones. And he and I talked about that. Our friends and partners are finding their voice and taking action to counter China’s malign activities, particularly in Europe’, the Secretary of State further added.

Last Friday, Pompeo criticised the Chinese Army for “escalating” the border tension with India and described the ruling Chinese Communist Party as a “rogue actor.”

In May, President Donald Trump had announced a number of retaliatory measures against China and also slammed for imposing a controversial national security law on Hong Kong that undermines the autonomy of the former British territory.

China’s official Xinhua news agency reported last week that Yang and Pompeo agreed to take action to implement in earnest the consensus reached by the heads of state of the two countries and maintain contact and communication.

Yang conducted in-depth exchanges with Pompeo on China-US relations as well as global and regional issues of mutual concern, the report said.

Pompeo also alleged that China is pushing disinformation and malicious cyber campaigns to undermine governments and to drive a wedge between the US and Europe.

China has prevoiusly attacked Pompeo as “evil,” “insane” and an “enemy of mankind” for accusing Beijing for trying to mislead the world about the severity of the Covid-19 outbreak.

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