U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last week the Chinese Communist Party was focused on international domination and needed to be confronted.
Pompeo said on Wednesday, Oct. 30 that the United States had long cherished its friendship with the Chinese people, adding the Communist government was not the same thing as the people of China.
Over recent decades, politicians in the United States have tended to use the word “China” to describe both Chinese people and the Chinese Communist regime. But in recent years, there’s been a move to differentiate between nationality and the political party.
Pompeo said the Chinese Communist Party is “a Leninist party rule, and everyone must think and act according to the will of the communist elites.”
“We always have to make the distinction, we are not talking about the people of those nations with whom we hope to have a fantastic relationship, nor are we talking about the containment of China, which is a great nation and a great civilization who we hope will join the ranks of responsible global actors,” Pompeo said.
“We’re talking about the government, particularly the Chinese Communist Party, and the way it treats its own people,” he added.
In a major policy speech on Oct. 24, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence attacked China’s record on human rights, trade, and methods used to expand its global influence.
Pompeo said President Donald Trump had sounded the alarm about China from his very first day in office.
“Today, we’re finally realizing the degree to which the [Chinese] Communist Party is truly hostile to the United States and our values … and we are able to do this because of the leadership of President Trump,” Pompeo said.
Reuters contributed to this report.
