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Pompeo says China's behavior "aggressive along every dimension"

WASHINGTON, Feb 21 (KUNA) -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stressed Thursday that China's behavior is "aggressive along every dimension of international power." In an interview with Fox Business Network, Pompeo affirmed that "real progress" is being made regarding the negotiations held with China "not just on the trade issues آ… but on intellectual property protection, forced technology transfer, and importantly, enforcement around those." "It's one thing to write something on a piece of paper; it's another thing to have enforcement mechanisms. And I know our trade team is hard at work making sure that the American people get that," he remarked.
He stressed that "the heart of these discussions will surround enforcement mechanisms. And I hope that the Chinese will be prepared to permit those to take place. If they do, perhaps we can find a good, solid trade way to move forward." Meanwhile, he stressed "the Chinese behavior is aggressive along every dimension of international power," noting to "their military expansion, certainly geographic expansion into the South China Sea. And their technology, their weapons systems are getter better. They're investing heavily in missile systems, space technology. All of those things that can project power beyond their own country." "They're also commercially engaged in predatory economic practices - expanding power, building influence through using cheap money, low-cost loans, and hooking countries on deals that will ultimately be bad for the people of those countries. And then we see this politically too," he added.
The US top diplomat stressed that "they are hard at work around the world trying to influence countries to think better of them in spite of the fact that often they show up with deals that aren't good for the people of the countries with which they're interacting." A new round of "principal level meetings" between the US and China kicked off Thursday in Washington to discuss the trade relationship between the two countries. (end) si