U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivered a speech in Atlanta on Wednesday praising the Trump administration’s stance on China — and encouraging the nation’s colleges to rethink their ties to a Chinese-backed program — ahead of runoff elections that will determine control of the U.S. Senate.
Pompeo, a possible 2024 presidential contender, steered clear of mention of U.S. Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, fellow Republicans who are facing Jan. 5 elections. And he didn’t invoke President Donald Trump’s legal battle to overturn Georgia’s election results during his hourlong remarks at Georgia Tech.
Instead, the secretary of state kept his focus on accusations that Chinese-government-funded institutes were working to recruit spies and collaborators at U.S. colleges, telling a socially distanced audience that included former U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss and ex-U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey that federal officials need to stand against foreign interference.
“Americans must know how the Chinese Communist Party is poisoning the well of our higher education institutions for its own ends, and how those actions degrade our freedoms and American national security,” he said. “If we don’t educate ourselves, and if we’re not honest about what’s taking place, we’ll get schooled by Beijing.”
The Trump administration has encouraged higher education systems to cut ties with the Confucius Institute, a program that offers Chinese language classes in the U.S. but also has been accused by Pompeo of “advancing Beijing’s global propaganda.” The administration has also limited visas to Chinese researchers and slapped new penalties on Chinese and Hong Kong officials.
The scrutiny has come amid the backdrop of a deteriorating relationship with China, with tensions increasing over trade, tariffs and the coronavirus pandemic. In the Georgia runoffs, the Republican incumbents have accused Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock of being too cozy with China — an allegation the challengers have disputed.
During his remarks, Pompeo warned that the Chinese Communist Party was seeking to “penetrate our research institutions” and that tough action is needed to prevent the interference.
“We lived in a bit of a fantasy world for the last 40 years,” Pompeo said. “It’s time for the balance to be struck to both maintain our competitive advantage and protect the American advantage from the threats the Chinese Community Party has clearly stated it intends to impose on us.”
Pompeo has faced intense criticism for making partisan-tinged appearances in recent months, including a video address to the Republican National Convention that was taped while he was in Israel that triggered calls for an investigation into whether he defied federal laws that ban political appointees from partisan activities while on official duty.
The secretary of state hasn’t yet directly acknowledged President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in November, though federal agencies are cooperating with the Democrat’s transition team.
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