U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently stated that he wants the American government to step up its fight against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). He was speaking at a gala dinner organized by the conservative think tank, the Hudson Institute.
Confronting China
“They (CCP) are reaching for and using methods that have created challenges for the United States and for the world and we collectively, all of us, need to confront these challenges … head-on… It is no longer realistic to ignore the fundamental differences between our two systems, and the impact that … the differences in those systems have on American national security,” Pompeo said in a statement (Reuters).
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The Secretary of State was all praises for President Donald Trump who was wary about China right from his first day of office. Pompeo stressed that the U.S. was not seeking any confrontation with China, but that all they want is a mutually beneficial, transparent, and competitive market system. He believes that the phase one trade deal between the two nations that is due to be signed soon could be the first step in that direction.
Pompeo is planning on delivering a series of speeches over the next few months, comparing American values against Chinese Communist Party ideology so as to let the world know the threat posed by China’s communist regime. He is also concerned about China’s rapid military build-up and warns that it is far more than what the country actually needs for defending itself.
The growing conflict between China and the U.S. has been a topic of discussion over the past few years, with many predicting that the failure of America could end global preference for the liberal, progressive culture of the West. Jonathan D. T. Ward, the author of China’s Vision of Victory, believes that Beijing’s censorship of the NBA is the first glimpse of what would happen in a China-led world order. A manager of an NBA team had tweeted in support of the Hong Kong protestors, inviting a backlash from China.
“China wants nothing less than to become the dominant global superpower, overtaking the United States, breaking our alliance system, and ending America’s economic and military preeminence. The Communist Party doesn’t just want to impose its dictates on the speech and practices of American basketball players, but on America and our allies around the world,” Ward writes at NBC News.
More control over Hong Kong
At a recent plenary meeting, the Chinese Communist Party pledged to exercise increased control over Hong Kong to “save” the city from foreign influence. A document put forward by the plenary talks about the need for establishing a sound legal system and enforcement mechanism to protect national security in regions like Hong Kong.
“This is clearly suggesting a wide range of unprecedented controls that are going to be exerted over Hong Kong as Beijing has lost its patience for one country, two systems… The communique sends a strong political message that might see Hong Kong respond by introducing new legislation to restrict free speech online, outlaw abuse of the police and increase controls on campus,” Johnny Lau Yui-siu, an expert on China, said to South China Morning Post.
If Beijing were to use hard tactics to control the Hong Kong situation, it could end up damaging the financial prospects of the city. However, some experts feel that Beijing might prioritize its control over Hong Kong and decide to use harsh measures against the pro-democracy protestors even if it creates friction with the U.S.
