Chinese Embassy responds to Pompeo’s comment on China

Below is a statement from the Chinese embassy in Guyana on statements made by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo:

The US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo made again some erroneous remarks on China during his visit to Guyana, to which we strongly oppose. To ensure a correct understanding of facts, I would like to reiterate the following:

First, Taiwan is an inalienable part of the People’s Republic of China. China has always firmly opposed any countries to develop any official relations or exchanges with the Taiwan region. We urge the US side to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, comply with the basic rules of international relations, and stop the erroneous remarks that bolster “Taiwan independence” separatists, undermine China-US relations as well as peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. China has the right to take all necessary actions to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Second, China has always been a staunch defender of cyber security. Nevertheless, incidents like the Edward Snowden revelations and the PRISM program have proved that the US is a habitual stealer of secrets. The US has, in the absence of evidence, abused the concept of national security and its state power to oppress certain foreign companies. The US has not only violated market principles and international rules, but also negated the principles of market economy and fair competition that it has been priding itself on. We hope that all countries work together to promote a fair, just, open, non-discriminatory business environment.

Third, China develops relations with Caribbean countries including Guyana under the principles of mutual respect, equality, and mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation. China attaches no political strings in bilateral pragmatic cooperations, which bring tangible benefits to countries and peoples in the region. This is an objective fact that anyone without prejudice will admit.

We advise Mr. Pompeo to stop spreading rumours and fake news everywhere to confuse people. Otherwise, he will end up humiliating himself and damage his own image.