U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday expressed the need for Israel and the United States to confront the Chinese Communist Party.
Speaking in a video address to the American Jewish Committee Virtual Global Forum 2020 published online, Pompeo said that China is “a growing challenge to the United States, to Israel, indeed to all free people.”
He warned that “Beijing’s opaque military buildup, reckless indifference to its internal obligations and disinformation campaigns endanger us all.”
“We all must be alert to the Chinese Communist Party’s threat to our way of life,” he added. “Standing against bad actors is at the core of America’s values. Both of our nations are rooted in respect for God-given rights, individual freedom and human equality.”
The United States believes that Chinese control of or investment in infrastructure and companies abroad presents a serious security threat. U.S. officials have been hard at work convincing allies, including Israel, to create some level of distance from the Chinese regime.
Israel has taken heed of these warnings to some extent, recently denying China the opportunity to build Israel’s Sorek B desalination plant.
Last year, Pompeo is said to have cautioned the Jewish state that allowing China more control over Israeli infrastructure could result in a reduction in U.S. intelligence-sharing.
China currently has investments in the ports in Haifa and Ashdod, as well as in Israel’s high-tech sector. A Chinese firm owns Tnuva, Israel’s largest dairy producer.
