China’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday some U.S. politicians were “smearing” normal economic and trade cooperation, after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Brazil and the United States needed to reduce their dependence on Chinese imports, Reuters writes.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying last week also mocked U.S. hypocrisy on her Twitter account after the Trump administration demanded international think tanks in the the country to publicly disclose the funding they receive from foreign governments or risk being forbidden from engaging with the State Department.
Pompeo said the decision comes amid growing bipartisan concern about the role of outside governments, such as China and Russia, who “seek to exert influence over U.S. foreign policy through lobbyists, external experts, and think tanks,” Global Times writes.
“Great! We’d very much like to see the U.S. lead the way. How about the U.S. government goes first: How many think tanks has it sponsored? How many of them have been instructed to make and spread fake news and disinformation about targeted countries such as China? How much money has the U.S. government poured into the National Endowment for Democracy to enable it to create instability in other countries in the name of democracy? Can Secretary Pompeo explain?” Hua questioned.
“The purpose is simple: to promote objective and impartial information exchange, untainted by the vicious intention to use think tanks as a political tool and cause turmoil,” Hua said, mimicking Pompeo’s tone.
The U.S. government’s approach is akin to a thief crying “stop thief,” as the US is always the top sponsor for many think tanks both domestic and overseas, said Shen Yi, a professor at the School of International Relations and Public Affairs of Fudan University. “US’ request for funding disclosure is tantamount to launching McCarthyism again to suppress academic institutions that advocate rational and moderate communication and understanding of China,” Shen said.
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