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US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said in a report by an news agency that he had a very frank discussion with his Chinese counterpart Wang Jiechi about the “unprovoked aggression” by Beijing on a number of fronts.
During the meeting in Hawaii last week, Pompeo said he also pressed for “more transparency” from China on the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic for the good of the world.
The meeting which was kept under wraps till the meeting day, took place amidst tensions between China and the US on a range of issues.
“I met with Yang Jiechi last week in Hawaii. We had a very frank discussion about the Chinese Communist Party’s unprovoked aggression on a number of fronts and I pressed him for more transparency on COVID for the good of the world,” Pompeo told reporters at a press conference.
“We’re concerned by Beijing’s behaviour and we’re not the only ones. And he and I talked about that. Our friends and partners are finding their voice and taking action to counter China’s malign activities, particularly in Europe,” he said.
President Donald Trump has announced a number of retaliatory measures against China last month, slamming China for imposing a controversial national security law on Hong Kong that undermines the autonomy of the former British territory.
The top US diplomat has led Trump administration officials in criticising Beijing for a lack of transparency and disinformation campaign on the coronavirus since it emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.
