Pompeo smears on China rebuked

The Chinese ambassador to Indonesia has denounced the erroneous remarks made by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during the top US diplomat's recent visit to Asia.

In Indonesia, Pompeo smeared China and tried to pit China against Indonesia, which undermines regional peace and stability.

With China a central theme, Pompeo took aim at Beijing in the South China Sea issue, the Belt and Road Initiative, and the handling of the coronavirus pandemic, The Associated Press reported.

He wrapped up his five-nation Asian tour in Vietnam on Friday. His previous stops also included India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

The US government has made confronting China, its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, the so-called human rights record, and the South China Sea issue among its main foreign policy priorities.

"We firmly oppose such efforts. Pompeo's remarks and moves further lay bare the United States' vile attempt and highlights some of its own serious problems," Ambassador Xiao Qian said in a statement on the embassy's website.

As an instigator of a new Cold War, the United States is an obstructionist in global openness and cooperation, he said.

The US "Indo-Pacific strategy" is to hype up military undertones and confrontation, trumpet an old-fashioned Cold War mentality and build a so-called new NATO in the "Indo-Pacific" dominated by itself, the ambassador said, adding such a dangerous attempt to turn back the wheel of history poses a grave threat to regional peace and stability.

"With the goal of bringing benefits to all, the Belt and Road Initiative follows an approach of extensive consultation, joint development and shared benefits, and advocates openness and inclusiveness. More than 100 countries and international organizations have supported the initiative. Projects such as the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway are delivering tangible benefits to countries along the route including Indonesia."

Calling the US the most dangerous factor jeopardizing peace in the South China Sea, Xiao said the US has not ratified the United Nations Convention On The Law Of The Sea but always posed as a defender of it.

"The US has repeatedly pitted regional countries against one another, flexed its muscles and instigated tensions. It is becoming the biggest factor fueling militarization and the most dangerous factor jeopardizing peace in the South China Sea."

An article published by The Jakarta Post on Tuesday said that Pompeo was seemingly engaged in "an impossible mission" to persuade, or more precisely, to pressure Indonesia to work closely with the US in cornering and isolating China, which is Indonesia's most important trading partner.

"The mission comes as Washington's global power and influence is diminishing in part because (the US) has slashed many fiscal and economic incentives, while unilaterally punishing its allies and strategic partners," the article added.