As reported by South China Morning Post, Mr Pompeo delivered the warning in speech at the National Governors Association (NGA) winter meeting. Mr Pompeo’s role is the American equivalent of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary. He said: “Competition with China is happening inside of your state and it affects our capacity to perform America’s vital national-security functions.
“Competition with China is not just a federal issue.”
Mr Pompeo said US engagement with China from the end of the Cold War was undertaken on an assumption that it would turn into a liberal democracy.
But, Mr Pompeo stated, “it didn’t happen.
“Under Xi Jinping the country is moving exactly in the opposite direction: more repression, more unfair competition, more predatory economic practices, and indeed a more aggressive military posture as well.”
He did not say the concerns ought to rule out the possibility of trade deals.
The NGA is made up of the governors of the 50 states in the union and the five US territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, though according to Politico, just 44 governors were in attendance.
Mr Pompeo told the governors: “I’m asking you to adopt a cautious mindset.
“In the words of President Reagan, when you are approached for introduction or a connection to a deal, ‘trust but verify’.”
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Washington continued to recognised the Republic of China, based on the Taiwanese capital of Taipei as the legitimate representative of China after the Nationalists lost the Chinese Civil War to the communists and were forced to flee.
China and the US have had opposing views on several foreign policy issues.
Washington and Beijing support opposing factions in the Syrian Civil War.
Beijing have backed the al-Assad regime.
China was opposed to the 2003 Iraq invasion.
Beijing did, however, condemn Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1991 and supported the US led coalition in Operation Dessert Storm.
Donald Trump has visited China once during his Presidency.
This was a three day visit in November 2017.
He met with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang.