Taiwan honors former US Secretary of State Pompeo, China calls him ‘liar’
March 3, 2022, 8:58 am

Taiwan honors former US Secretary of State Pompeo, China calls him ‘liar’

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen (File photo: Reuters)

The Arab News reported, citing Reuters, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen bestowed a presidential honor on former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday for his contribution to boosting relations with the island, as China’s top newspaper lambasted him again as a “liar.”

The report said, China placed sanctions on Pompeo when he left office at the end of the Trump presidency last year, angered by his repeated criticism of the country, especially its ruling Communist Party, and support for Chinese-claimed Taiwan.

Meeting Pompeo at the presidential office in Taipei, Tsai thanked him for his long-time support of Taiwan.

She said: “A visit from such a good friend as Secretary Pompeo attests to the strong Taiwan-US friendship."

Tsai bestowed on him the Order of the Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon, one of Taiwan’s top honors. Former US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is another previous honoree.

Pompeo, wearing a face mask with US and Taiwanese flags emblazoned upon it, said he was proud of his achievements while in office to try and normalize relations with Taiwan, including sending US officials to visit.

Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (File photo: Official Facebook page)

He said: “It is not provocative to say that one demands freedom. Indeed to walk away from these things demonstrate the absence of resolve."

According to the report, China put sanctions on “lying and cheating” Pompeo and 27 other top Trump-era officials as President Joe Biden took office in January 2021.

China warns USA against including Taiwan in its Indo-Pacific strategy

China’s top newspaper, the party’s official People’s Daily, called Pompeo in a commentary on Thursday an “extremely notorious” anti-China politician who “took pride in lying and deceit” while in office.

It said of his trip: “Collusion with external forces cannot bring security or well-being for the Taiwanese people."

The Donald Trump administration gave strong backing to Taiwan, despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties, including high-profile arms sales and visits by top US officials to Taipei.

China has stepped up its military and diplomatic pressure against Taiwan over the past two years, seeking to force the island to accept its sovereignty.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to visit Taiwan next week

Taiwan’s democratically-elected government says it wants peace but will defend itself if attacked, and that only the island’s people have the right to decide their future.

Source: arabnews

Ukraine presidential adviser urges humanitarian corridors and OSCE support; 'Enough talking' Why Iranian officials implicitly supported Putin in the Ukraine conflict?

Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.