Mike Pompeo asks the United States to fight "the empire" of China's "bribes"

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday accused China of wanting to build an "empire" by bribing leaders with investment and pledging to fight it "at every turn."

While trade disputes between China and the administration of President Donald Trump are skyrocketing, the United States has increasingly warned developing countries, especially Latin American countries, to be wary of the economic boom in Beijing.

Addressing the conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, Pompeo said the United States welcomed "commercial competition with China on a fair and reciprocal basis".

"But when China offers bribes to top country leaders in exchange for infrastructure projects that will hurt the people of this country, this idea of ​​building an empire run by the treasure would go to." 39 against each of these countries, "said Pompeo.

China's economic push "certainly poses a risk to US interests and we intend to oppose it at any time," he said.

Pompeo presented Chinese policy as part of a more assertive initiative of President Xi Jinping, saying that Beijing 's willingness to spend money around the world has increased these two or three last years.

In 2015, Xi pledged $ 250 billion of direct investment in Latin America and the Caribbean and twice as much in trade, which means that China would replace the United States as the main economic partner of some countries. .

China defends its trade as mutually beneficial and says that unlike the Western powers, it will avoid any interference in the internal affairs of other countries.

Critics say, however, that China's interest in Latin America and Africa is almost exclusively focused on extracting natural resources and developing its own economy, without worrying too much about it. local workers and long-term local growth.

China has also expelled Taiwan, which it considers a province awaiting reunification. In August, El Salvador is the latest to recognize Beijing and abandon Taipei.