Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a Feb. 17 interview with U.S. media that Biden‘s comments on human rights issues in China echo Communist propaganda.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday (Feb. 17) that President Biden’s comments Tuesday about the Chinese Communist Party‘s human rights abuses against minorities and political dissidents echoed “Chinese Communist propaganda.
Pompeo’s comments refer to Biden’s appearance on a CNN-sponsored town hall television program on Tuesday (Feb. 16), in which he addressed the issue of human rights violations by the Chinese Communist Party.
In his remarks, Biden said he talked about human rights during a two-hour call with Xi last week. He said he and Xi mentioned China’s actions in Hong Kong and Xinjiang, as well as the Taiwan issue. But Biden followed up by saying, “Culturally, every country has different norms that they expect their leaders to abide by.”
The remarks raised questions from Republicans and conservatives. In an interview Wednesday on the Fox News program “Mornings with Maria,” former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, “The kind of discourse that says this is just a different set of norms is the Chinese [Communist Party] propaganda line. They [the CCP] want you to think it’s just a quiet country with a system that might be a little bit different.”
“The truth of the matter is that they (the Chinese Communist Party) are trying to destroy an entire nation.” Pompeo said.
Senator: Why our president is making excuses for the Chinese Communist Party’s predatory behavior
Republican U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee tweeted Wednesday in response to Biden’s Tuesday speech, “Why is our president making excuses for the depredations of the Chinese Communist Party?”
Hagerty’s tweet was in response to RNC Research’s comments on Biden’s speech. “RNC Research” said, “Joe Biden on China’s (CCP) human rights abuses: ‘There are different cultural norms.'”
In addition to Pompeo and members of Congress, other conservatives interpreted Biden’s remarks as an attempt to justify the Chinese Communist Party leader’s curbing of freedoms and trampling on human rights. Tommy Pigott (R-PA) tweeted, “Why is Joe Biden defending China’s (CCP) human rights abuses?”
“In discussing China’s (CCP) actions in Hong Kong and the genocide of the Uighurs, Biden shamefully stated that ‘norms are culturally different (in each country)’.” Pigott said.
Pompeo urges Biden not to talk the talk but not the walk
When Pompeo was U.S. secretary of state, he declared that the Chinese Communist Party was committing genocide against the Uighurs. The Trump (Trump) administration has also imposed a series of sanctions in response to the Chinese Communist Party’s crackdown on protesters in Hong Kong.
Biden also said at a town hall meeting Tuesday that the U.S. “must speak out for human rights.
“We will continue to reaffirm our role as a spokesperson for human rights at the United Nations and other bodies that have an impact on their (the Chinese Communist Party’s) attitudes,” Biden said. Biden said.
“China (the Chinese Communist Party) is working very hard to become a world leader and to earn that title. And to do that, they have to gain the trust of other countries. As long as they engage in activities that are contrary to basic human rights, it will be very difficult for them to do that.” Biden said.
Pompeo urged Biden on Wednesday not to be all talk and no action. He said Xi sees a new U.S. administration that will become more moderate.
“Maybe Xi gets the fact that now this administration (the Biden Administration) will only talk about this issue (meaning human rights) and raise this issue ‘because I (Biden) have to talk about it’ and not act on it.” Pompeo said.
Pompeo cited the Trump Administration‘s actions on Tibet and Hong Kong and said he hoped the Biden administration “would not treat China [the Chinese Communist Party] as a country with slightly different norms.
Other Republican lawmakers’ responses to Biden’s China Policy
Republican U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-UT) has also urged Biden to take action, not just talk.
On China policy, Biden said in a Feb. 7 interview with U.S. media CBS that the United States and China have no reason to get involved in a war, but that the two superpowers are likely to be in “extreme competition” in the next few years.
Biden also said that he would not go along with Trump’s China policy and would do things differently.
Corden urged Biden to recognize the Chinese Communist Party as a threat. In an interview with Fox News, he said it was not enough for Biden to criticize former President Trump’s (China) policy without outlining his own plans.
“Simply criticizing President Trump (for his China policy), the first in 20 years to stand up to the Chinese Communist Party, and saying he (Biden) would do it differently without specifying how he would do it differently, is not showing strength.” Cotton said.
Last December, the Trump administration proposed a rule in the Federal Register aimed at creating more oversight for the Confucius Institute, but it was withdrawn by the Biden administration on Jan. 26.
Republicans were quick to point to the withdrawal of the rule as evidence that the Biden administration had quietly caved in to Beijing.
“It’s been a year since the Chinese Communist Party let the Epidemic spread around the world. Instead of holding them (the CCP) accountable for hiding the truth, the Biden administration has rewarded China (the CCP) by allowing their propaganda to infiltrate our college campuses.” House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) tweeted in response.
A report released in August 2018 by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC), an agency of the U.S. Congress, revealed that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has pursued a unified war overseas through academic institutions and groups such as the Confucius Institute, organizing protests and distorting history to support Beijing’s policy positions.
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