The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Frosty relations on display as Pompeo visits Beijing
BEIJING — A chilly exchange between U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, on Monday was the latest sign of sharply deteriorating relations between the world’s two largest economies.
Wang was unusually sharp during an appearance with Pompeo before their meeting at the Diaoyutai Guest House, demanding the U.S. stop its “mistaken actions” against China. He accused the U.S. of escalating friction on a range of fronts involving the country’s affairs.
Pompeo responded with equal bluntness that the United States had fundamental differences with China.
The episode illustrated how swiftly relations have soured between Washington and Beijing in recent weeks, with analysts warning of a new era of bruising global competition between the U.S. and China.
The tensions include hefty trade tariffs, military friction in the South China Sea — including a recent near-collision between U.S. and China warships — spying scandals, and disagreements involving self-governing Taiwan, which China considers part of its territory. Examples of problems include President Trump recently telling reporters Chinese President Xi Jinping might no longer be his friend and the cancellation of a bilateral security dialogue due in Beijing this month — capped by a public disagreement on who called off the security talks.
“Recently, as the U.S. side has been constantly esca- lating trade friction toward China, it has also adopted a series of actions on the Taiwan issue that harm Chi- na’s rights, and has made groundless criticism of China’s domestic and foreign policies,” Wang said. “These actions have affected the mutual trust between both sides, and have cast a shadow over the prospects for Chi- na-U.S. relations, which completely go against the interest of our two peoples. We demand that the U.S. side stop these kinds of mistaken actions.”
Pompeo responded: “The issues that you characterized, we have a fundamental disagreement. We have great concerns about the actions that China has taken, and I look forward to having the opportunity to discuss each of those today because this is an incredibly important relationship.”
Wang made it clear that U.S. officials had sought the meeting, not China. He said Pompeo had contacted China about the visit, “and we are willing to meet you.”
Expectations for the meet- ing were never high, given that it came just days after a stinging attack on China by Vice President Mike Pence, who accused Beijing on Thursday of meddling in U.S. elections, the wholesale theft of technology and intel- lectual property, military aggression, religious oppression and other issues. China’s foreign ministry described Pence’s speech as unwarranted slander and warned that nothing could stop China’s progress.