China a strategic competitor, Russia poses challenge to US strategic interest, says Pompeo

Washington, May 23 (PTI): China is a “strategic competitor” to the United States, while Russia poses a challenge to America’s strategic interests globally, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said today.

Appearing before a Congressional panel, Pompeo told lawmakers that President Donald Trump is committed to diplomacy as the primary means of achieving the US’ foreign policy objectives.

Pressing the House Foreign Affairs Committee to approve USD 39.3 billion annual budget of the State Department, Pompeo said that the US must exert a proportional financial commitment in the pursuit of goals shared by the international community.

“It is time for other nations especially those with high gross domestic product (GDP) to assume greater responsibilities and devote greater resources toward common objectives, whether it’s crushing terrorists, stopping Iran’s malign behaviour, strengthening the NATO alliance, eradicating infectious diseases, and so much more,” he said.

The Trump Administration expects greater burden sharing for its allies and partners, the former CIA chief said.

Russia, he also told the lawmakers, “poses a challenge to our strategic interests” and the security of US allies.

“This is evident from the chemical weapons attack in the UK, for which we imposed consequences in concert with several partners and allies. We’ve been clear with Russia, it must honour its commitments under the Minsk Accords if peace is to prevail in Ukraine,” he said.

As a guarantor of the Assad regime, Russia has a responsibility to be a constructive actor for stability and peace in Syria, which includes stopping the regime’s use of chemical weapons, he said. “We are holding Russia accountable to its commitment to the Geneva process.”

Describing China as a “rising strategic competitor”, Pompeo said “We must work constructively with a nation of China’s importance, as we are doing on North Korea, but we cannot sacrifice the interests of the American people and our economic competitiveness, relinquish freedom navigation and the law of the sea in the South China Sea and elsewhere, or passively watch as American intellectual property is stolen.

China claims almost all of the South China Sea but Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims over the waterway. The US periodically deploys its naval ships and fighter planes to assert freedom of navigation.

The US is making clear to China that the protection of human rights is integral to any country that wishes to be regarded as a great nation, he said.

“Elsewhere in Asia, we are reaffirming and expanding partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region with nations that share our commitment to security, economic freedom, sovereignty, and liberty,” he said.

Observing that the progress against ISIS has been predominantly accomplished through military action, he said that but there is a very important role for diplomacy and assistance in ensuring the permanent defeat of ISIS.

“We must continue robust stabilisation activities with our coalition partners in order to prevent ISIS from resurfacing. We are also countering ISIS’ attempts to gain safe havens in areas such as Afghanistan, the Philippines, and Africa,” he said.

In addition to providing targeted security sector assistance funding, the US is working with its allies and partners to stop foreign fighter travel, cut off sources of revenue, attack ISIS online, share intelligence, and prosecute those who come off the battlefield.

“The State Department will continue to lead international efforts to denuclearise North Korea, and to prevent Iran and other actors from unlawfully acquiring weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, while strengthening the capacity of partner nations to do so as well,” Pompeo said.