China accuses Mike Pompeo of ‘vile conspiracy’ to disrupt Latin American relationships
- US secretary of state’s visit to Brazil, Colombia, Guyana and Suriname was intended to offer economic alternatives to Beijing
- Washington also sought to increase pressure on Venezuela, a key ally of China in the region
China’s embassy in Brazil has accused Mike Pompeo of engaging in a “vile conspiracy” to disrupt its relations with Latin America, following a tour of the region by the US secretary of state.
Pompeo’s four-day visit to Suriname, Guyana, Brazil and Colombia focused on offering alternatives to China for economic development in the region and on ratcheting up pressure on Venezuela, one of China’s closest partners in Latin America.
After talks with Brazilian Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo, Pompeo told the media he had discussed “the importance of keeping Brazil’s future networks safe from the Chinese Communist Party”.
A State Department statement added that he had thanked Brazil for hosting Venezuelan refugees and said the US and Brazil would work towards “increased trade and digital security”, without mentioning China or the telecoms giant Huawei.
The US has repeatedly warned Brazil to steer clear of Chinese telecom giant Huawei, which it views as a security risk, and has encouraged other global partners to do the same.
In a brief Twitter post on Sunday following the visit, Beijing’s envoy accused Pompeo of telling lies and spreading false information.