Chinese Media: "Pompeo, the Worst Secretary of State in History"

Dissatisfaction with South Asia Tour of 5 Countries
"No Diplomatic Achievements and Further Isolation of the US"

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Cho Young-shin] China’s state-run media Global Times fiercely criticized U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who completed a tour of five South Asian countries, calling him the "worst Secretary of State in history."

On the 2nd, Global Times harshly evaluated that Secretary Pompeo not only failed to achieve diplomatic success during his term but also pursued diplomacy that further isolated the United States. The newspaper reported that Pompeo’s diplomatic policy was a failure to the extent that most countries worldwide, including even U.S. allies, have developed a perception that they need to keep a certain distance from the United States.

This criticism from the Chinese media is interpreted as dissatisfaction with Pompeo’s tour of five South Asian countries. Starting from the 25th of last month, Pompeo visited India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Indonesia, and Vietnam, launching a full-scale offensive against China by calling it a "plunderer."

During his visit to India, Pompeo openly expressed discomfort toward China, saying, "China is not a friend of democracy. There is much to discuss with India to confront the Chinese Communist Party, which threatens security and freedom." In Sri Lanka, he raised the level of criticism by stating, "The Chinese Communist Party is a plunderer to neighboring countries," and "China is infringing on Sri Lanka’s sovereignty through bad deals with Sri Lanka."

During visits to the Maldives and Indonesia, he said, "The Chinese People’s Liberation Army has illegally militarized the South China Sea and infringed on the economic zones of neighboring countries," and added, "We hope to cooperate in new ways to protect the world’s busiest trade routes." During an unplanned visit to Vietnam, he emphasized "sovereignty," stating, "The United States greatly respects the Vietnamese people and their sovereignty." This remark was made with China’s infringement on Vietnam’s sovereignty in the South China Sea territorial claims in mind. Global Times condemned Pompeo’s tour as an "anti-China diplomacy" aimed at containing China and a diplomatic policy attempting to return to the Cold War era.

Lu Xiang, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, criticized Pompeo, saying, "Pompeo’s strategy to return to the Cold War era is an outdated idea," and "Forcing one side to take sides unilaterally in a globalized international society is wrong and will not bear fruit." Liu Zhongyi, Secretary-General of the China-South Asia Cooperation Research Center at the Shanghai Institute for International Studies, said, "Pompeo always used the word ‘communism’ when criticizing China," and "His visit to (socialist country) Vietnam itself is contradictory."

He continued, "Former Secretaries of State John Foster Dulles and Hillary Clinton, who caused problems with their tough stance against China, were treated as diplomats by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, but Pompeo is not recognized by the Chinese side as a diplomat or partner," mocking Secretary Pompeo. Global Times stated, "Pompeo is under investigation for violating federal law prohibiting political activities by government officials last August," and "This South Asia tour was also a political tour ahead of the U.S. presidential election." It further claimed, "Pompeo is merely a former CIA director, not a diplomat recognized for legitimacy."