Pompeo: Whole World Uniting Against China

Predicts nations will partner with US against China

In comments Tuesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the entire world is in the process of uniting against China, saying it was the consequence of China’s “unfair” behavior.

This unity seems to be coming exactly as Pompeo has made the rounds trying to push anti-China sentiment, and his perception that it is happening may simply be nations he’s visiting wanting to pay lip-service to this US policy.

In naming specific nations on board with US hostility to China, Pompeo mentioned India, Japan, and South Korea. None of these nations were on good terms with China in the first place, and it’s not clear those terms have gotten markedly worse recently, beyond a brief border clash between India and China.

These nations have (mostly economic) rivalries with China, and may want to secure more US trade in backing the US against China. For many nations, however, this isn’t an option, and the goal is more to live with China and any other nation.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.