US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to Sri Lanka on Tuesday for a two-day visit during which he will hold talks with the top Lankan leadership, as America seeks to balance China's growing influence in the region and to advance the common goals for a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Pompeo arrived in India on Monday along with Defence Secretary Mark T Esper for the third edition of the US-India 2+2 dialogue with their counterparts in New Delhi.

After his India visit, Pompeo will travel to Sri Lanka later Tuesday on an invitation extended by his Sri Lankan counterpart Dinesh Gunawardena.

Pompeo, the highest-level US official to visit Sri Lanka during the tenure of President Donald Trump, will hold official discussions with the Lankan leadership covering several areas of the multifaceted engagement between the two countries.

He will hold talks in Colombo on October 28, Cabinet spokesman and minister Keheliya Rambukwella said.

Pompeo is expected to meet President Gotabaya Rajapaksa alongside his brother and prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Sri Lanka will emphasise its need to maintain the independence of its foreign policy during the talks with Pompeo, Regional Cooperation Minister in the foreign ministry Tharaka Balasuriya told reporters on Tuesday.

"He will be here to discuss bilateral issues and regional issues," Balasuriya said. "We will be making our position clear".

Pompeo will also visit the St Anthony's Church in north Colombo, one of the Churches devastated by last year's deadly Easter Sunday attacks.

"Secretary Pompeo will travel to Colombo to underscore the commitment of the United States to a partnership with a strong, sovereign Sri Lanka and to advance our common goals for a free and open Indo-Pacific region," the US State Department said in a statement last week.

The Chinese military has been flexing its muscles in the strategically vital Indo Pacific region and is also engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in both the South China Sea (SCS) and the East China Sea (ECS).

Early this month, India, the US, Japan and Australia agreed to step up coordination in creating a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Pompeo's visit is being seen here as part of the US effort to have Sri Lanka on its side vis-a-vis China.

The opposition JVP held a protest opposite the US embassy urging America to end its alleged interference in Sri Lanka.

Pompeo's visit to Lanka comes two weeks after a high-powered Chinese delegation led by ruling Communist Party Politburo member Yang Jiechi visited Colombo.

Just a day before Pompeo's visit to Colombo, the Chinese Embassy here accused the US of interfering in the relations between China and Sri Lanka.

"We are firmly opposed to the United States taking the opportunity of the State Secretary's visit to sow and interfere in China-Sri Lanka relations, and to coerce and bully Sri Lanka,? the Embassy said in a statement on Monday.

It said that China and Sri Lanka have enough wisdom to handle relations with each other and do not need a third party to dictate.

The statement hoped that the US will "correct the ugly practices of arbitrarily interfering in other countries' domestic and foreign affairs."

China is one of the biggest investors in various infrastructure projects in Sri Lanka. But there has been criticism, both locally and internationally, and growing concerns that China has lured Sri Lanka into a debt trap.

The previous Maithripala Sirisena government had entered into a 99-year lease with China in 2017 as a settlement of its debt by way of equity.

Sri Lanka's economy, especially the tourism sector, has been hit hard since last year - initially by the Easter Sunday attacks, which killed over 250 people and later by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The Reserve Bank of India in July this year signed necessary documents for extending a USD 400 million currency swap facility to Sri Lanka to boost the nation's draining foreign exchange reserves due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The currency swap arrangement will remain available till November 2022.&nbsp;

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to Sri Lanka on Tuesday for a two-day visit during which he will hold talks with the top Lankan leadership, as America seeks to balance China's growing influence in the region and to advance the common goals for a free and open Indo-Pacific.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to Sri Lanka on Tuesday for a two-day visit during which he will hold talks with the top Lankan leadership, as America seeks to balance China's growing influence in the region and to advance the common goals for a free and open Indo-Pacific. Pompeo arrived in India on Monday along with Defence Secretary Mark T Esper for the third edition of the US-India 2+2 dialogue with their counterparts in New Delhi. After his India visit, Pompeo will travel to Sri Lanka later Tuesday on an invitation extended by his Sri Lankan counterpart Dinesh Gunawardena. Pompeo, the highest-level US official to visit Sri Lanka during the tenure of President Donald Trump, will hold official discussions with the Lankan leadership covering several areas of the multifaceted engagement between the two countries. He will hold talks in Colombo on October 28, Cabinet spokesman and minister Keheliya Rambukwella said. Pompeo is expected to meet President Gotabaya Rajapaksa alongside his brother and prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. Sri Lanka will emphasise its need to maintain the independence of its foreign policy during the talks with Pompeo, Regional Cooperation Minister in the foreign ministry Tharaka Balasuriya told reporters on Tuesday. "He will be here to discuss bilateral issues and regional issues," Balasuriya said. "We will be making our position clear". Pompeo will also visit the St Anthony's Church in north Colombo, one of the Churches devastated by last year's deadly Easter Sunday attacks. "Secretary Pompeo will travel to Colombo to underscore the commitment of the United States to a partnership with a strong, sovereign Sri Lanka and to advance our common goals for a free and open Indo-Pacific region," the US State Department said in a statement last week. The Chinese military has been flexing its muscles in the strategically vital Indo Pacific region and is also engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in both the South China Sea (SCS) and the East China Sea (ECS). Early this month, India, the US, Japan and Australia agreed to step up coordination in creating a free and open Indo-Pacific. Pompeo's visit is being seen here as part of the US effort to have Sri Lanka on its side vis-a-vis China. The opposition JVP held a protest opposite the US embassy urging America to end its alleged interference in Sri Lanka. Pompeo's visit to Lanka comes two weeks after a high-powered Chinese delegation led by ruling Communist Party Politburo member Yang Jiechi visited Colombo. Just a day before Pompeo's visit to Colombo, the Chinese Embassy here accused the US of interfering in the relations between China and Sri Lanka. "We are firmly opposed to the United States taking the opportunity of the State Secretary's visit to sow and interfere in China-Sri Lanka relations, and to coerce and bully Sri Lanka,? the Embassy said in a statement on Monday. It said that China and Sri Lanka have enough wisdom to handle relations with each other and do not need a third party to dictate. The statement hoped that the US will "correct the ugly practices of arbitrarily interfering in other countries' domestic and foreign affairs." China is one of the biggest investors in various infrastructure projects in Sri Lanka. But there has been criticism, both locally and internationally, and growing concerns that China has lured Sri Lanka into a debt trap. The previous Maithripala Sirisena government had entered into a 99-year lease with China in 2017 as a settlement of its debt by way of equity. Sri Lanka's economy, especially the tourism sector, has been hit hard since last year - initially by the Easter Sunday attacks, which killed over 250 people and later by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The Reserve Bank of India in July this year signed necessary documents for extending a USD 400 million currency swap facility to Sri Lanka to boost the nation's draining foreign exchange reserves due to the coronavirus pandemic. The currency swap arrangement will remain available till November 2022.

Pompeo to hold talks with Lankan leadership during two-day Colombo visit

India will sign a key military pact -- BECA or Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement -- with the United States. "Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and US Defence Secretary Mark Esper confirmed the agreement of BECA will be signed during the visit," the defence ministry said, in a statement on Monday.

India to sign BECA military pact with United States

Amid China's growing military aggression, India is signing a deal to access precision data US military satellites. WION 's Palki Sharma tells you how the US is trying to build an Asian alliance to counter China's military aggression.

Gravitas: Countering China's aggression: India and US to sign key military pact

On the final day of ministerial level talks, Mike Pompeo & Mark Esper hailed ties between US & India amid the growing Chinese threat.

Mike Pompeo: US, India must focus on Chinese threat

The United States and India must work together to confront the threat posed by China to security and freedom, U.S. Secretary Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday as he prepared for talks with Indian leaders. Pompeo arrived in New Delhi on Monday along with Defense Secretary Mark Esper for an annual strategic dialogue at a time of heightened tension in the region, with Indian troops confronting Chinese forces on their disputed Himalayan border.

Pompeo and Jaishankar discuss security issues in Asia

The United States and India must work together to confront the threat posed by China to security and freedom, US&nbsp;Secretary Mike&nbsp;Pompeo&nbsp;said on Tuesday as he prepared for talks with Indian leaders.

Pompeo&nbsp;arrived in New Delhi on Monday along with Defense Secretary Mark Esper for an annual strategic dialogue at a time of heightened tension in the region, with Indian troops confronting Chinese forces on the Line of Actual Control.

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"Today is a new opportunity for two great democracies like ours to grow closer,"&nbsp;Pompeo&nbsp;said before the talks with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

"There is much more work to do for sure. We have a lot to discuss today: Our cooperation on the pandemic that originated in Wuhan, to confronting the Chinese Communist Party’s threats to security and freedom to promoting peace and stability throughout the region.”

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/rajnath-singh-mark-esper-discuss-joint-service-cooperation-in-bilateral-meet-338063" hreflang="en">Rajnath Singh, Mark Esper discuss joint service cooperation in bilateral meet</a>

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump has made being tough on China a key part of his campaign to secure a second term in next week's presidential election and&nbsp;Pompeo&nbsp;has been trying to bolster allies to counter China's growing influence in the region.

In June, 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a clash with Chinese troops on their high-altitude border, hardening the mood in India against China and driving Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government to seek closer military ties with the United States.

This month, India invited Australia to join naval drills it holds each year with the United States and Japan, brushing off Chinese concerns that the exercises destabilise the region.

"Our focus now must be on institutionalising and regularising our cooperation to meet the challenges of the day and uphold the principles of a free and open Indo-Pacific well into the future," Esper said.

The two sides will later on Tuesday sign a military agreement that will give India access to advanced US&nbsp;satellite and map data for better accuracy of its missiles and drones.

The United States and India must work together to confront the threat posed by China to security and freedom, US Secretary Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday as he prepared for talks with Indian leaders.

The United States and India must work together to confront the threat posed by China to security and freedom, US Secretary Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday as he prepared for talks with Indian leaders. Pompeo arrived in New Delhi on Monday along with Defense Secretary Mark Esper for an annual strategic dialogue at a time of heightened tension in the region, with Indian troops confronting Chinese forces on the Line of Actual Control. "Today is a new opportunity for two great democracies like ours to grow closer," Pompeo said before the talks with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. "There is much more work to do for sure. We have a lot to discuss today: Our cooperation on the pandemic that originated in Wuhan, to confronting the Chinese Communist Party’s threats to security and freedom to promoting peace and stability throughout the region.” Also read: Rajnath Singh, Mark Esper discuss joint service cooperation in bilateral meet US President Donald Trump has made being tough on China a key part of his campaign to secure a second term in next week's presidential election and Pompeo has been trying to bolster allies to counter China's growing influence in the region. In June, 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a clash with Chinese troops on their high-altitude border, hardening the mood in India against China and driving Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government to seek closer military ties with the United States. This month, India invited Australia to join naval drills it holds each year with the United States and Japan, brushing off Chinese concerns that the exercises destabilise the region. "Our focus now must be on institutionalising and regularising our cooperation to meet the challenges of the day and uphold the principles of a free and open Indo-Pacific well into the future," Esper said. The two sides will later on Tuesday sign a military agreement that will give India access to advanced US satellite and map data for better accuracy of its missiles and drones.

US, India must focus on threat posed by China: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

India and United States to ink BECA military deal

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence secretary Mark Esper to took part in the third 2+2 ministerial dialogue on Tuesday which is aimed at discussing regional security cooperation between India and US.

News Alert: US leaders hold talks with Indian counterparts

Amid tensions with China on LAC India is hosting the 3rd edition of 2+2 ministerial dialogue with the US. Mike Pompeo will be holding the bilateral talks with the Indian counterparts on Monday (26 October). US defence secretary Mark Esper was welcomed by the Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh.

WION Dispatch: India-US dialogue amid China tensions; Pompeo, Esper in New Delhi

India is hosting the 3rd edition of 2+2 ministerial dialogue with the US. Mike Pompeo will be holding the bilateral talks with the Indian counterparts on Monday (26 October). US defence secretary Mark Esper was welcomed by the Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh.

Esper meets Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh

Top two officials of Trump administration -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretary Mark Esper have reached New Delhi for the 2+2 India-US meet. It will be the most significant diplomatic engagement in New Delhi amid the Chinese aggression -- not only with India but also with other countries in the region.

Both -- Pompeo and Esper -- will have bilateral meeting with their Indian counterparts on Monday. A dinner has also been organised in their honour.&nbsp;

The formal 2+2 happens on Tuesday and will be followed by a joint meet called by Indian and US foreign and defence leaders with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This will be for the second time that the Indian prime minister will meet foreign dignitaries amidst the COVID pandemic -- the first being Dr Abdullah Abdullah, the chief negotiator for Afghan government at the Intra Afghan talks in Doha.

Apart from Chinese aggression, Indo Pacific concept, COVID pandemic and other issues like increasing people to people engagement will be discussed.

A US administration official told WION, "Given China’s increasingly aggressive behaviour across the Indo-Pacific from the Himalayas to the South China Sea, it’s more important than ever that we work with like-minded partners such as India."

A military pact, BECA or Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement, is also expected to be signed. It is the last of the four foundational agreements and will allow for expanded geospatial information sharing between American and Indian armed forces.

In terms of defence and security, both countries have expanded cooperation. Earlier this year in July, Indian Navy and UN Navy's Nimitz undertook passing exercises in the Bay of Bengal.&nbsp;

Defence trade has increased in a major away in the last two decades. India has the largest fleet of C17 and P8 outside of the US and in 2020, US authorised defence sales worth $20 billion were carried out to India.

The focus is also expected to be on the quad grouping of India, US, Japan and Australia. Earlier this month, Pompeo met with EAM Jaishankar in Tokyo. 
&nbsp; 
Pompeo's visit comes just a week before the US goes to election on November 3.&nbsp;

Top two officials of Trump administration -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretary Mark Esper have reached New Delhi for the 2+2 India-US meet.

Top two officials of Trump administration -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretary Mark Esper have reached New Delhi for the 2+2 India-US meet. It will be the most significant diplomatic engagement in New Delhi amid the Chinese aggression -- not only with India but also with other countries in the region. Both -- Pompeo and Esper -- will have bilateral meeting with their Indian counterparts on Monday. A dinner has also been organised in their honour. The formal 2+2 happens on Tuesday and will be followed by a joint meet called by Indian and US foreign and defence leaders with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This will be for the second time that the Indian prime minister will meet foreign dignitaries amidst the COVID pandemic -- the first being Dr Abdullah Abdullah, the chief negotiator for Afghan government at the Intra Afghan talks in Doha. Apart from Chinese aggression, Indo Pacific concept, COVID pandemic and other issues like increasing people to people engagement will be discussed. A US administration official told WION, "Given China’s increasingly aggressive behaviour across the Indo-Pacific from the Himalayas to the South China Sea, it’s more important than ever that we work with like-minded partners such as India." A military pact, BECA or Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement, is also expected to be signed. It is the last of the four foundational agreements and will allow for expanded geospatial information sharing between American and Indian armed forces. In terms of defence and security, both countries have expanded cooperation. Earlier this year in July, Indian Navy and UN Navy's Nimitz undertook passing exercises in the Bay of Bengal. Defence trade has increased in a major away in the last two decades. India has the largest fleet of C17 and P8 outside of the US and in 2020, US authorised defence sales worth $20 billion were carried out to India. The focus is also expected to be on the quad grouping of India, US, Japan and Australia. Earlier this month, Pompeo met with EAM Jaishankar in Tokyo. Pompeo's visit comes just a week before the US goes to election on November 3.

US secretary of state, defence secy reach India for 2+2 meet

US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo reached New Delhi on Monday ahead of the 2+2 ministerial level meet with Indian ministers.&nbsp;Pompeo arrived with his wife Susan Pompeo in New Delhi for the meet which will also see US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. Both Esper and Pompeo will meet their Indian counterparts Minister of External Affairs (MEA) S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

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US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and his wife, Susan Pompeo, arrive in Delhi. 
 
US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo is in India today to participate in the third India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue tomorrow. <a href="https://t.co/Fxzzr6TvXh">pic.twitter.com/Fxzzr6TvXh</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1320642098480046080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Both Pompeo and Esper's two-day visit will see bilateral talks with Jaishankar and Singh and a meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and NSA Ajit Doval.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/quad-is-an-alignment-of-democracies-senior-us-administration-official-to-wion-337615">Quad is an alignment of democracies: Senior US administration official to WION</a>

This will be the third edition of the 2+2 ministerial dialogue between the two nations and this time, officials have said, the focus would be regional security cooperation, defence information-sharing so that both New Delhi and Washington can tackle global challenges better.

Officials also said that there will be talks on public health cooperation to deal with coronavirus pandemic and cooperation on working together in the Indo-Pacific.&nbsp;

As Pompeo was set to begin his trip to India and other Asian countries, he tweeted that he would "promote a shared vision for a free and open Indo Pacific".

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Wheels up for my trip to India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Indonesia. Grateful for the opportunity to connect with our partners to promote a shared vision for a free and open <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndoPacific?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndoPacific</a> composed of independent, strong, and prosperous nations. <a href="https://t.co/IoaJvtsHZC">pic.twitter.com/IoaJvtsHZC</a>
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecPompeo/status/1320400111059537920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2020</a></blockquote>
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"Wheels up for my trip to India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Indonesia. Grateful for the opportunity to connect with our partners to promote a shared vision for a free and open #IndoPacific composed of independent, strong, and prosperous nations, the secretary of state tweeted.&nbsp;

US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo reached New Delhi on Monday ahead of the 2+2 ministerial level meet with Indian ministers. Pompeo arrived with his wife Susan Pompeo in New Delhi for the meet which will also see US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper.

US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo reached New Delhi on Monday ahead of the 2+2 ministerial level meet with Indian ministers. Pompeo arrived with his wife Susan Pompeo in New Delhi for the meet which will also see US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. Both Esper and Pompeo will meet their Indian counterparts Minister of External Affairs (MEA) S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and his wife, Susan Pompeo, arrive in Delhi. US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo is in India today to participate in the third India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/Fxzzr6TvXh — ANI (@ANI) October 26, 2020 × Both Pompeo and Esper's two-day visit will see bilateral talks with Jaishankar and Singh and a meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and NSA Ajit Doval. Also read | Quad is an alignment of democracies: Senior US administration official to WION This will be the third edition of the 2+2 ministerial dialogue between the two nations and this time, officials have said, the focus would be regional security cooperation, defence information-sharing so that both New Delhi and Washington can tackle global challenges better. Officials also said that there will be talks on public health cooperation to deal with coronavirus pandemic and cooperation on working together in the Indo-Pacific. As Pompeo was set to begin his trip to India and other Asian countries, he tweeted that he would "promote a shared vision for a free and open Indo Pacific". Wheels up for my trip to India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Indonesia. Grateful for the opportunity to connect with our partners to promote a shared vision for a free and open #IndoPacific composed of independent, strong, and prosperous nations. pic.twitter.com/IoaJvtsHZC — Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) October 25, 2020 × "Wheels up for my trip to India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Indonesia. Grateful for the opportunity to connect with our partners to promote a shared vision for a free and open #IndoPacific composed of independent, strong, and prosperous nations, the secretary of state tweeted.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrives in New Delhi

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is set to boost efforts by the world’s largest Muslim movement to recontextualize Islam during a forthcoming visit to Indonesia as part of a three-nation Asian tour. The tour is likely to be the secretary’s last official trip prior to next month’s US presidential election.

Mr. Pompeo’s engagement with Nahdlatul Ulama, a powerful Islamic grouping in Indonesia, with an estimated following of 50 million people, takes on added significance against the backdrop of the Trump administration’s push for a definition of human rights that redefines notions of freedom of religion at the expense of other basic rights in advance of a hard fought election that Donald J. Trump could lose.

It also comes as French President Emmanuel Macron kicked into high gear his self-declared mission of reforming what he has termed an Islam that “is a religion that is in crisis all over the world” in the wake of the gruesome murder of Samuel Paty, a 47-year old teacher.

Mr. Paty was killed by an 18-year old youth of Chechen descent after he used cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed in a class about freedom of expression.

The Indonesia-leg at the end of Mr. Pompeo’s tour, which is first taking him to India and Sri Lanka, similarly comes as Nahdlatul Ulama, an independent civil society movement, competes globally with Saudi, United Arab Emirates, and Turkish state-backed efforts to garner religious soft power and shape the definition of what constitutes moderate Islam.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-is-seeking-second-term-to-help-himself-and-his-wealthy-friends-says-ex-us-president-barack-obama-337789">Trump is seeking second term to help himself and his wealthy friends, says Ex-US President Barack Obama</a>

Nahdlatul Ulama was founded almost a century ago in opposition to Wahhabism, the austere interpretation of Islam, that has largely guided Saudi Arabia since its founding in 1932.

Mr. Pompeo and his top aides are scheduled to participate in two days of events in the Indonesian capital organized by Nahdlatul Ulama to nurture “the shared civilizational aspirations” of Indonesia, the United States and Islam, defined by the group with the Qur’anic phrase that the faith is “a source of universal love and compassion.”

By giving Nahdlatul Ulama the State Department’s seal of approval, Mr. Pompeo is implicitly acknowledging the fact that the group unlike its rivals in the quest for religious soft power has started to put its money where its mouth is.

Unlike its soft power rivals, Nahdlatul Ulama has spelt out its definition of moderate Islam with its adoption in 2015 of the concept of Nusantara (Archipelago) or humanitarian Islam that calls for a full embrace of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights (UNHDR).

Countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE project themselves as models of undefined forms of moderate Islam manifested by engagement in inter-faith dialogue and varying degrees of religious tolerance.

They have, however, stopped short of addressing theologically problematic concepts like that of kafirs or infidels, the Muslim reference to non-Muslims, slavery, dhimmis, people of the book that Islam recognizes but accords a lesser status than Muslims, apostasy, and blasphemy.

They have also manoeuvred in inter-faith gatherings to evade unrestricted support of the UN human rights declaration.

By contrast, Nahdlatul Ulama has taken initial steps in that direction even if it still has a ways to go. Thousands of the group’s religious scholars issued a fatwa or religious opinion that eliminated the notion of infidels, effectively removing one pillar of Muslim perceptions of religious supremacy.

Based on statements by Nahdlatul Ulama leaders, the group’s scholars are likely to next do away with the legal concept of slavery.

The group’s litmus test will be if and when it takes on apostasy and blasphemy, concepts that are certain to be far more emotive and controversial. Nahdlatul Ulama officials say the group has long accepted in practice conversion away from Islam.

Mr. Pompeo’s acknowledgement of Nahdlatul Ulama further suggests that the State Department recognizes that religious reform is more likely to successfully be enacted by independent civil society actors with proper religious credentials and a significant following rather than states.

It is a recognition that by implication highlights the limitations of efforts by states, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Turkey, to define the essence of Islam as well as Mr. Macron’s ambition to solve the faith’s problems for it.

Mr. Pompeo lands in Jakarta shortly after signing the Geneva Consensus Declaration alongside a host of countries that propagate conservative values and rank low on Georgetown University’s Women, Peace and Security Index.

The declaration seeks to promote women’s rights and health and strengthen the family but emphasizes that “in no case should abortion be promoted as a method of family planning.”

It stipulates that there is “no international right to abortion, nor any international obligation on the part of States to finance or facilitate abortion.”

The declaration’s signatories include Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE, Iraq, Sudan, South Sudan, Libya, Egypt, Belarus, Hungary, and Indonesia.

Many of the signatories are members of the Group of Friends, a block of 25 nations in the United Nations that seeks to pre-empt any expansion of rights for girls, women, and LGBT people and weaken international support for the Beijing Declaration, a landmark 1995 agreement that stands as an internationally recognized progressive blueprint for women’s rights.

Much of the group’s positions are coordinated by the Center for Family and Human Rights, or C-Fam, a small but influential far-right group that focuses on abortion, sexual orientation and gender identity. C-Fam has worked closely with the State Department dating back to the administration of US President George W. Bush.

Accompanied by among others Mary Ann Glendon, the head of the State Department’s Commission on Unalienable Rights, Mr. Pompeo’s arrival in Jakarta also comes after the centre-right Centrist Democrat International (IDC-CDI), the world’s largest alliance of political parties, acknowledged the Commission’s report as “a re-affirmation of the spirit and substance of fundamental human rights.”

Indonesia’s National Awakening Party (PKB), which has five seats in President Joko Widodo’s cabinet and is an influential member of IDC-CDI, is closely associated with Nahdlatul Ulama.

Critics have charged that the Commission’s report fuels assertions that there are too many human rights and prioritizes religious liberty and property rights at the expense of protections against discrimination particularly on the basis of gender.

As a result, Mr. Pompeo’s endorsement of Nahdlatul Ulama could prove to be a double-edged sword. It strengthens the group’s proposition, yet also identifies it with one faction in a global battle that not only seeks to define the soul of Islam but also fundamentally shape what constitutes a human right.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is set to boost efforts by the world’s largest Muslim movement to recontextualize Islam during a forthcoming visit to Indonesia as part of a three-nation Asian tour.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is set to boost efforts by the world’s largest Muslim movement to recontextualize Islam during a forthcoming visit to Indonesia as part of a three-nation Asian tour. The tour is likely to be the secretary’s last official trip prior to next month’s US presidential election. Mr. Pompeo’s engagement with Nahdlatul Ulama, a powerful Islamic grouping in Indonesia, with an estimated following of 50 million people, takes on added significance against the backdrop of the Trump administration’s push for a definition of human rights that redefines notions of freedom of religion at the expense of other basic rights in advance of a hard fought election that Donald J. Trump could lose. It also comes as French President Emmanuel Macron kicked into high gear his self-declared mission of reforming what he has termed an Islam that “is a religion that is in crisis all over the world” in the wake of the gruesome murder of Samuel Paty, a 47-year old teacher. Mr. Paty was killed by an 18-year old youth of Chechen descent after he used cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed in a class about freedom of expression. The Indonesia-leg at the end of Mr. Pompeo’s tour, which is first taking him to India and Sri Lanka, similarly comes as Nahdlatul Ulama, an independent civil society movement, competes globally with Saudi, United Arab Emirates, and Turkish state-backed efforts to garner religious soft power and shape the definition of what constitutes moderate Islam. Also Read | Trump is seeking second term to help himself and his wealthy friends, says Ex-US President Barack Obama Nahdlatul Ulama was founded almost a century ago in opposition to Wahhabism, the austere interpretation of Islam, that has largely guided Saudi Arabia since its founding in 1932. Mr. Pompeo and his top aides are scheduled to participate in two days of events in the Indonesian capital organized by Nahdlatul Ulama to nurture “the shared civilizational aspirations” of Indonesia, the United States and Islam, defined by the group with the Qur’anic phrase that the faith is “a source of universal love and compassion.” By giving Nahdlatul Ulama the State Department’s seal of approval, Mr. Pompeo is implicitly acknowledging the fact that the group unlike its rivals in the quest for religious soft power has started to put its money where its mouth is. Unlike its soft power rivals, Nahdlatul Ulama has spelt out its definition of moderate Islam with its adoption in 2015 of the concept of Nusantara (Archipelago) or humanitarian Islam that calls for a full embrace of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights (UNHDR). Countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE project themselves as models of undefined forms of moderate Islam manifested by engagement in inter-faith dialogue and varying degrees of religious tolerance. They have, however, stopped short of addressing theologically problematic concepts like that of kafirs or infidels, the Muslim reference to non-Muslims, slavery, dhimmis, people of the book that Islam recognizes but accords a lesser status than Muslims, apostasy, and blasphemy. They have also manoeuvred in inter-faith gatherings to evade unrestricted support of the UN human rights declaration. By contrast, Nahdlatul Ulama has taken initial steps in that direction even if it still has a ways to go. Thousands of the group’s religious scholars issued a fatwa or religious opinion that eliminated the notion of infidels, effectively removing one pillar of Muslim perceptions of religious supremacy. Based on statements by Nahdlatul Ulama leaders, the group’s scholars are likely to next do away with the legal concept of slavery. The group’s litmus test will be if and when it takes on apostasy and blasphemy, concepts that are certain to be far more emotive and controversial. Nahdlatul Ulama officials say the group has long accepted in practice conversion away from Islam. Mr. Pompeo’s acknowledgement of Nahdlatul Ulama further suggests that the State Department recognizes that religious reform is more likely to successfully be enacted by independent civil society actors with proper religious credentials and a significant following rather than states. It is a recognition that by implication highlights the limitations of efforts by states, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Turkey, to define the essence of Islam as well as Mr. Macron’s ambition to solve the faith’s problems for it. Mr. Pompeo lands in Jakarta shortly after signing the Geneva Consensus Declaration alongside a host of countries that propagate conservative values and rank low on Georgetown University’s Women, Peace and Security Index. The declaration seeks to promote women’s rights and health and strengthen the family but emphasizes that “in no case should abortion be promoted as a method of family planning.” It stipulates that there is “no international right to abortion, nor any international obligation on the part of States to finance or facilitate abortion.” The declaration’s signatories include Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE, Iraq, Sudan, South Sudan, Libya, Egypt, Belarus, Hungary, and Indonesia. Many of the signatories are members of the Group of Friends, a block of 25 nations in the United Nations that seeks to pre-empt any expansion of rights for girls, women, and LGBT people and weaken international support for the Beijing Declaration, a landmark 1995 agreement that stands as an internationally recognized progressive blueprint for women’s rights. Much of the group’s positions are coordinated by the Center for Family and Human Rights, or C-Fam, a small but influential far-right group that focuses on abortion, sexual orientation and gender identity. C-Fam has worked closely with the State Department dating back to the administration of US President George W. Bush. Accompanied by among others Mary Ann Glendon, the head of the State Department’s Commission on Unalienable Rights, Mr. Pompeo’s arrival in Jakarta also comes after the centre-right Centrist Democrat International (IDC-CDI), the world’s largest alliance of political parties, acknowledged the Commission’s report as “a re-affirmation of the spirit and substance of fundamental human rights.” Indonesia’s National Awakening Party (PKB), which has five seats in President Joko Widodo’s cabinet and is an influential member of IDC-CDI, is closely associated with Nahdlatul Ulama. Critics have charged that the Commission’s report fuels assertions that there are too many human rights and prioritizes religious liberty and property rights at the expense of protections against discrimination particularly on the basis of gender. As a result, Mr. Pompeo’s endorsement of Nahdlatul Ulama could prove to be a double-edged sword. It strengthens the group’s proposition, yet also identifies it with one faction in a global battle that not only seeks to define the soul of Islam but also fundamentally shape what constitutes a human right. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

US Secretary of State Pompeo set to boost Indonesian religious reform efforts

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, who is facing an opposition threat of a national strike, spoke by phone with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday, state media reported.

No details of the call were immediately available, the Belta news agency said.

Lukashenko, who is holding on to power despite major protests in recent weeks calling for him to resign, is facing the prospect of a national strike that could begin on Monday following an ultimatum set by opposition leaders.

Lukashenko has shown no sign he will heed the ultimatum and step down. Protests against his 26-year rule began following an Aug. 9 election victory his opponents say was rigged.

Washington has imposed sanctions on Belarus officials following violent crackdowns at demonstrations in Minsk and across the country.

Protesters shouting slogans and waving red-and-white opposition flags marched through the streets of Minsk on Saturday, footage taken by local media showed.

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, who is facing an opposition threat of a national strike, spoke by phone with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday, state media reported.

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, who is facing an opposition threat of a national strike, spoke by phone with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday, state media reported. No details of the call were immediately available, the Belta news agency said. Lukashenko, who is holding on to power despite major protests in recent weeks calling for him to resign, is facing the prospect of a national strike that could begin on Monday following an ultimatum set by opposition leaders. Lukashenko has shown no sign he will heed the ultimatum and step down. Protests against his 26-year rule began following an Aug. 9 election victory his opponents say was rigged. Washington has imposed sanctions on Belarus officials following violent crackdowns at demonstrations in Minsk and across the country. Protesters shouting slogans and waving red-and-white opposition flags marched through the streets of Minsk on Saturday, footage taken by local media showed.

Belarus president Lukashenko speaks by phone to Pompeo: Media

India and the United States could ink the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) defence pact for “greater geospatial information-sharing” during the forthcoming Indo-US 2+2 talks at the foreign and defence ministerial level on October 27.

India-US 2+2 talks: Esper, Pompeo to also meet NSA Ajit Doval and PM Modi

India-US 2+2 dialogue to focus on regional security cooperation and defence

India will be hosting the third India-U.S. 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue on 27 October 2020 in New Delhi. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper will be visiting India on 26-27 October 2020 to participate in the Dialogue. From the Indian side, Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar will lead the delegations from the Ministries of Defence and External Affairs, respectively.

Your Story: India-US 2+2 Talks: US warns Sri Lanka's growing closeness with China

India and USA on Wednesday announced the dates of upcoming 2+2 dialogue between the two countries. The dialogue will take place next week on October 26 and 27 in New Delhi. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretary Mark Esper will be visiting India for 2+2 dialogue and meet Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

"This Sunday I will depart for India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives then on to Indonesia and at every stop will discuss a broad range of the bilateral topics and also work with each of the countries what is the best way to cooperate to preserve free and open Indo Pacific," said Pompeo.

"Especially looking forward with Secretary Espar at 2+2 ministerial dialogue with our Indian friend... the meeting will also include how free nations can work on threats posed by Chinese Communist Party," he added.

This is the third 2+2 dialogue that's taking place between India and the US. &nbsp;The first two 2+2 Ministerial dialogues were held in New Delhi in September 2018 and in Washington DC in 2019.&nbsp;

Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-china-standoff-china-putting-military-pressure-on-india-says-us-defence-secretary-mark-esper-336848">India-China standoff: China putting military pressure on India, says US defence secretary Mark Esper</a>

"Agenda for the third Dialogue will cover all bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest," said the MEA while it made announcement about the dialogue.

This 2+2 dialogue between India and US will take place as both countries face an increasingly aggressive China. Both India and the US, are part of Quad grouping of countries which include Australia and Japan.

Pompeo will visit India just a week before US Presidential elections.

India and USA on Wednesday announced the dates of upcoming 2+2 dialogue between the two countries. The dialogue will take place next week on October 26 and 27 in New Delhi.

India and USA on Wednesday announced the dates of upcoming 2+2 dialogue between the two countries. The dialogue will take place next week on October 26 and 27 in New Delhi. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretary Mark Esper will be visiting India for 2+2 dialogue and meet Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. "This Sunday I will depart for India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives then on to Indonesia and at every stop will discuss a broad range of the bilateral topics and also work with each of the countries what is the best way to cooperate to preserve free and open Indo Pacific," said Pompeo. "Especially looking forward with Secretary Espar at 2+2 ministerial dialogue with our Indian friend... the meeting will also include how free nations can work on threats posed by Chinese Communist Party," he added. This is the third 2+2 dialogue that's taking place between India and the US. The first two 2+2 Ministerial dialogues were held in New Delhi in September 2018 and in Washington DC in 2019. Also Read: India-China standoff: China putting military pressure on India, says US defence secretary Mark Esper "Agenda for the third Dialogue will cover all bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest," said the MEA while it made announcement about the dialogue. This 2+2 dialogue between India and US will take place as both countries face an increasingly aggressive China. Both India and the US, are part of Quad grouping of countries which include Australia and Japan. Pompeo will visit India just a week before US Presidential elections.

It's official: India and USA will hold 2+2 dialogue next week

In a fresh step in its confrontation with China, US has designated operations of six China-based media companies as foreign missions. Such a designation requires the outlets to inform the US State Department of their personnel rosters and real-estate holdings. US Secretary of Stae Mike Pompeo said that the fresh step was taken to resist communist propoganda. Pompeo also said that the US is going to start a dialogue with European Union on China.

The State Department named the newly designated publications as the Yicai Global, Jiefang Daily, the Xinmin Evening News, Social Sciences in China Press, the Beijing Review, and the Economic Daily. It brought to 15 the number of Chinese media outlets so designated this year.

It was the latest U.S. step to curb Chinese activity in the United States in the run-up to the Nov. 3 presidential election, in which President Donald Trump has made a tough approach to China a key foreign policy theme.

Pompeo said the move was part of efforts to push back against "Chinese communist propaganda efforts" in the United States.

"They are also substantially owned, or effectively controlled by a foreign government," he said.

Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-what-to-expect-as-donald-trump-joe-biden-gear-up-for-final-presidential-debate-337034">What to expect as Donald Trump, Joe Biden gear up for final debate</a>

"We are not placing any restrictions on what these outlets can publish in the United States; we simply want to ensure that American people, consumers of information can differentiate between news written by a free press and propaganda distributed by the Chinese Communist Party itself. Not the same thing."

The editor-in-chief of Chinese state-backed Global Times newspaper said in a tweet that the U.S. had "gone too far" and that China would retaliate.

"As long as Chinese media outlets suffer actual harm, Beijing will definitely retaliate, and US media outlets' operation in HK could be included in retaliation list," Hu Xijin said.

The State Department has required Chinese media outlets to register as foreign missions and announced in March it was cutting the number of journalists allowed to work at U.S. offices of major Chinese media outlets to 100 from 160.

In response, China expelled about a dozen American correspondents with the New York Times, News Corp's Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post.

The United States also said last month it would require senior Chinese diplomats to get State Department approval before visiting U.S. university campuses or holding cultural events with more than 50 people outside mission grounds.

China's embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Washington designated four major Chinese media outlets as foreign embassies in June and five in February.&nbsp;

(With Reuters inputs) 
&nbsp;

In a fresh step in its confrontation with China, US has designated operations of six China-based media companies as foreign missions. Such a designation requires the outlets to inform the US State Department of their personnel rosters and real-estate holdings.

In a fresh step in its confrontation with China, US has designated operations of six China-based media companies as foreign missions. Such a designation requires the outlets to inform the US State Department of their personnel rosters and real-estate holdings. US Secretary of Stae Mike Pompeo said that the fresh step was taken to resist communist propoganda. Pompeo also said that the US is going to start a dialogue with European Union on China. The State Department named the newly designated publications as the Yicai Global, Jiefang Daily, the Xinmin Evening News, Social Sciences in China Press, the Beijing Review, and the Economic Daily. It brought to 15 the number of Chinese media outlets so designated this year. It was the latest U.S. step to curb Chinese activity in the United States in the run-up to the Nov. 3 presidential election, in which President Donald Trump has made a tough approach to China a key foreign policy theme. Pompeo said the move was part of efforts to push back against "Chinese communist propaganda efforts" in the United States. "They are also substantially owned, or effectively controlled by a foreign government," he said. Also Read: What to expect as Donald Trump, Joe Biden gear up for final debate "We are not placing any restrictions on what these outlets can publish in the United States; we simply want to ensure that American people, consumers of information can differentiate between news written by a free press and propaganda distributed by the Chinese Communist Party itself. Not the same thing." The editor-in-chief of Chinese state-backed Global Times newspaper said in a tweet that the U.S. had "gone too far" and that China would retaliate. "As long as Chinese media outlets suffer actual harm, Beijing will definitely retaliate, and US media outlets' operation in HK could be included in retaliation list," Hu Xijin said. The State Department has required Chinese media outlets to register as foreign missions and announced in March it was cutting the number of journalists allowed to work at U.S. offices of major Chinese media outlets to 100 from 160. In response, China expelled about a dozen American correspondents with the New York Times, News Corp's Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post. The United States also said last month it would require senior Chinese diplomats to get State Department approval before visiting U.S. university campuses or holding cultural events with more than 50 people outside mission grounds. China's embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Washington designated four major Chinese media outlets as foreign embassies in June and five in February. (With Reuters inputs)

Days ahead of elections, US designates six Chinese firms as foreign missions

The foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia are scheduled to separately meet with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington on Friday.

Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict: Pompeo to meet Armenia, Azerbaijan ministers

US&nbsp;Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit Sri Lanka and the Maldives this month, officials of both Indian Ocean nations said on Tuesday, as Washington seeks to counter China's growing influence in the region.

Pompeo will hold two-way talks in Colombo on October&nbsp;28, a spokesman for Sri Lanka's foreign ministry said but gave no details.

Two people familiar with arrangements for the trip said Pompeo was likely to stop in the Maldives' capital of Male for several hours on the same day.

"Incoming visits of official foreign delegations will be announced once a visit is scheduled and confirmed," the Maldives' foreign ministry said in a statement.

China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, visited Colombo this month. In recent years, Beijing has increasingly provided financing and construction for critical infrastructure in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, alarming traditional regional power India.

Last week, an Indian government source said Pompeo was also set to visit New Delhi this month, along with Defense Secretary Mark Esper, for talks with Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit Sri Lanka and the Maldives this month, officials of both Indian Ocean nations said on Tuesday, as Washington seeks to counter China's growing influence in the region.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit Sri Lanka and the Maldives this month, officials of both Indian Ocean nations said on Tuesday, as Washington seeks to counter China's growing influence in the region. Pompeo will hold two-way talks in Colombo on October 28, a spokesman for Sri Lanka's foreign ministry said but gave no details. Two people familiar with arrangements for the trip said Pompeo was likely to stop in the Maldives' capital of Male for several hours on the same day. "Incoming visits of official foreign delegations will be announced once a visit is scheduled and confirmed," the Maldives' foreign ministry said in a statement. China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, visited Colombo this month. In recent years, Beijing has increasingly provided financing and construction for critical infrastructure in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, alarming traditional regional power India. Last week, an Indian government source said Pompeo was also set to visit New Delhi this month, along with Defense Secretary Mark Esper, for talks with Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Pompeo to visit Sri Lanka and Maldives as China threat looms

The hopes for a humanitarian ceasefire between Armenia & Azerbaijan sank deeper on Friday, as both sides continue to engage in new clashes. Azerbaijan accused Armenia for a missile attack in country's second largest city of Ganja.

Armenia-Azerbaijan ceasefire hopes sink as new clashes erupt

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo supported India on its ongoing standoff with China, saying Beijing has deployed 60,000 soldiers in the border with India.

Pompeo said New Delhi "absolutely need the United States to be their ally and partner in this fight".&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/time-to-accept-talks-wont-make-china-change-aggressive-stance-us-nsa-334239">‘Time to accept talks won’t make China change aggressive stance’: US NSA</a>

"They’ve stacked 60,000 soldiers against the Indians in the north," in an interview to Fox News.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/i-am-sorry-taiwanese-detained-in-china-confesses-on-state-tv-334533">'I am sorry': Taiwanese detained in China confesses on state TV</a>

The secretary of state's comments came after the Quad nations: India, Japan, Australia and the US met on Tuesday in Tokyo where they supported a rules-based Indo-Pacific region, sending an indirect message to China over its expansionist attempts.&nbsp;

"I was with my foreign minister counterparts from India, Australia, and Japan… four big democracies, four powerful economies, four nations, each of whom has real risk associated with the threats attempting to be imposed by the Chinese Communist Party. And they see it in their home countries too," Pompeo said on The Guy Benson Show, as quoted by The Indian Express.&nbsp;

"But they’ve all seen it, whether it’s the Indians, who are actually having a physical confrontation with the Chinese up in the Himalayas in the northeastern part of India, the Chinese have now begun to amass huge forces against India in the north."

He also said the Quad members are working on a set of policies to resist the threats each of these nations face from Beijing.&nbsp;

"(India) absolutely need the United States to be their ally and partner in this fight," he added.

Pompeo said the the "tide has turned" and under Trump's leadership a coalition is established that "will push back against the threat and maintain good order, the rule of law, and the basic civic decency that comes from democracies controlling the world and not authoritarian regimes".

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo supported India on its ongoing standoff with China, saying Beijing has deployed 60,000 soldiers in the border with India. Pompeo said New Delhi "absolutely need the United States to be their ally and partner in this fight".

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo supported India on its ongoing standoff with China, saying Beijing has deployed 60,000 soldiers in the border with India. Pompeo said New Delhi "absolutely need the United States to be their ally and partner in this fight". Also read | ‘Time to accept talks won’t make China change aggressive stance’: US NSA "They’ve stacked 60,000 soldiers against the Indians in the north," in an interview to Fox News. Also read | 'I am sorry': Taiwanese detained in China confesses on state TV The secretary of state's comments came after the Quad nations: India, Japan, Australia and the US met on Tuesday in Tokyo where they supported a rules-based Indo-Pacific region, sending an indirect message to China over its expansionist attempts. "I was with my foreign minister counterparts from India, Australia, and Japan… four big democracies, four powerful economies, four nations, each of whom has real risk associated with the threats attempting to be imposed by the Chinese Communist Party. And they see it in their home countries too," Pompeo said on The Guy Benson Show, as quoted by The Indian Express. "But they’ve all seen it, whether it’s the Indians, who are actually having a physical confrontation with the Chinese up in the Himalayas in the northeastern part of India, the Chinese have now begun to amass huge forces against India in the north." He also said the Quad members are working on a set of policies to resist the threats each of these nations face from Beijing. "(India) absolutely need the United States to be their ally and partner in this fight," he added. Pompeo said the the "tide has turned" and under Trump's leadership a coalition is established that "will push back against the threat and maintain good order, the rule of law, and the basic civic decency that comes from democracies controlling the world and not authoritarian regimes".

Mike Pompeo lashes out at China, says nation deployed 60,000 soldiers at border with India

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, facing open criticism from President Donald Trump, promised Friday he would release emails by Hillary Clinton avidly sought by conservative activists before November 3 elections.

Trump, trailing in the polls and confined to the White House after a Covid-19 diagnosis, has returned to his familiar demands for the emails of his 2016 rival while she was secretary of state.

Asked about Trump's rare attack on him over not finding and releasing the emails, Pompeo said in a Fox News interview: "We're gonna get there. We're going to get this information out so the American people can see it."

Pressed on whether he would follow through before the vote, Pompeo said: "Doing it as fast as we can. I certainly think there will be more to see before the election."

If Pompeo asks State Department employees to work on Clinton's emails, he would likely trigger questions of legality as the 1939 Hatch Act bans federal employees from most political activity.&nbsp;

Clinton -- who is not on the ballot this year -- has acknowledged using a private email server, in violation of regulations, when she was America's top diplomat from 2009 to 2013.

Then FBI chief James Comey, in the run-up to the 2016 election, found that Clinton was careless but that there was no criminal intent.

The emails have animated Trump's voters, who with his encouragement would chant "Lock her up!" at his rallies in 2016.

"You'll remember there was classified information on a private server. It should have never been there," Pompeo said.

"Hillary Clinton should never have done that. It was unacceptable behavior."

Pompeo -- who made his name as a Republican congressman with his fiery questions of Clinton over the deadly 2012 attack on the US mission in Benghazi, Libya -- has until now been one of the few aides never to cross the mercurial Trump and is known for his eager defenses of him.

But Trump in a Fox Business interview Thursday said he was "not happy" with Pompeo over the emails. On Friday, Trump said Clinton should be imprisoned over the emails.

A probe last year led by House Democratic lawmakers found that Trump's daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, both advisors to the president, have themselves used personal email for White House business.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, facing open criticism from President Donald Trump, promised Friday he would release emails by Hillary Clinton avidly sought by conservative activists before November 3 elections.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, facing open criticism from President Donald Trump, promised Friday he would release emails by Hillary Clinton avidly sought by conservative activists before November 3 elections. Trump, trailing in the polls and confined to the White House after a Covid-19 diagnosis, has returned to his familiar demands for the emails of his 2016 rival while she was secretary of state. Asked about Trump's rare attack on him over not finding and releasing the emails, Pompeo said in a Fox News interview: "We're gonna get there. We're going to get this information out so the American people can see it." Pressed on whether he would follow through before the vote, Pompeo said: "Doing it as fast as we can. I certainly think there will be more to see before the election." If Pompeo asks State Department employees to work on Clinton's emails, he would likely trigger questions of legality as the 1939 Hatch Act bans federal employees from most political activity. Clinton -- who is not on the ballot this year -- has acknowledged using a private email server, in violation of regulations, when she was America's top diplomat from 2009 to 2013. Then FBI chief James Comey, in the run-up to the 2016 election, found that Clinton was careless but that there was no criminal intent. The emails have animated Trump's voters, who with his encouragement would chant "Lock her up!" at his rallies in 2016. "You'll remember there was classified information on a private server. It should have never been there," Pompeo said. "Hillary Clinton should never have done that. It was unacceptable behavior." Pompeo -- who made his name as a Republican congressman with his fiery questions of Clinton over the deadly 2012 attack on the US mission in Benghazi, Libya -- has until now been one of the few aides never to cross the mercurial Trump and is known for his eager defenses of him. But Trump in a Fox Business interview Thursday said he was "not happy" with Pompeo over the emails. On Friday, Trump said Clinton should be imprisoned over the emails. A probe last year led by House Democratic lawmakers found that Trump's daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, both advisors to the president, have themselves used personal email for White House business.

Under Trump pressure, Pompeo vows to put out Clinton emails

President Donald Trump forced the State Department on Friday to commit to releasing at least some of Hillary Clinton’s emails before next month’s election, resurrecting a 4-year-old issue in hopes that it would prove as helpful to his political prospects as it was when he defeated her in 2016.

Trailing badly in the polls and eager to change the subject from the coronavirus, Trump succeeded in compelling Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to announce that he would make public the emails even as Attorney General William Barr resisted pressure from the president to prosecute Democrats like former Vice President Joe Biden, this year’s Democratic nominee.

Still recovering from his own coronavirus infection, Trump made plans to host hundreds of supporters on the South Lawn of the White House on Saturday for his first in-person event since he tested positive last week, according to three people familiar with the schedule. The rally that he had previously said he wanted to hold Saturday in Florida will instead be held Monday, his campaign announced, as the president insisted on getting back on the road despite his illness.

The burst of activity and machinations reflected a president grasping for a way to make up a double-digit polling deficit against Biden with 25 days left before the election on Nov. 3. Biden’s lead has remained stable for months and, if anything, expanded in recent days, despite every effort by the president to shift the momentum of the race.

He lost one of the few obvious opportunities to transform the dynamics of the campaign Friday when the Commission on Presidential Debates formally canceled Thursday’s second showdown between Trump and Biden after the president refused to participate remotely.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-raises-stimulus-offer-to-usd-18-trillion-days-after-halting-negotiations-334269">Trump raises stimulus offer to USD 1.8 trillion days after halting negotiations</a>

Battered by an October surprise that Trump did not anticipate — his hospitalization from a virus that he had played down even as it has killed 213,000 people in the United States — the president appeared intent Friday on creating an October surprise more to his liking, in this case tarring Democrats by using the instruments of government power at his disposal.

He publicly badgered Barr this week to indict Democrats connected to the original investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and any ties to Trump’s campaign, naming specifically Biden and former President Barack Obama. But Barr has told Republicans and others that he planned no major moves in his reexamination of the Russia investigation before Election Day.

Three government officials briefed on the investigation said that they had been told that it was unlikely that John Durham, the prosecutor tapped by Barr to lead the inquiry, would produce indictments or any other developments that could affect the trajectory of the election before Nov. 3.

“If that’s the case, I’m very disappointed,” Trump said Friday during a two-hour phone conversation with radio host Rush Limbaugh. “I think it’s a terrible thing, and I’ll say it to his face.”

The president has been consumed for months with the hope that the Durham investigation would provide him evidence that the Russia inquiry was an effort to smear him. He has told advisers he hoped for indictments of top former Obama administration national security officials or even Obama or Biden themselves. Short of that, he hoped for a report with the imprimatur of the Justice Department detailing their actions in 2016, according to people briefed on the conversations.

Beyond his public comments, the president has also conveyed to Barr, directly and through surrogates, that he wanted “scalps,” according to two government officials familiar with the conversations.

The Justice Department declined to comment on the president’s remarks.

While Barr defied the president’s desire for preelection action, Pompeo bowed to Trump’s wishes a day after he publicly chastised the secretary of state for not cooperating. Pompeo told Fox News that he would release at least some of Clinton’s emails from when she was secretary of state and using a private server.

“We’ve got the emails,” Pompeo said. “We’re getting them out. We’re going to get all this information out so the American people can see it.”

He made no effort to suggest that releasing them was unconnected to the political campaign. “We’re doing it as fast as we can,” he added. “I certainly think there’ll be more to see before the election.”

Neither Trump nor Pompeo explained why they would release the emails now, in the final weeks of a hotly contested presidential campaign, given that they could have done so at any point in the past four years. Nor did they explain why they would seek to prove that Clinton was too casual with emails containing classified information by releasing emails containing classified information.

But Pompeo said he did not expect Trump to declassify any documents that might include sensitive information that would be damaging to U.S. interests once it is made public. “We’ll get the information out that needs to get out,” Pompeo said. “We’ll do it in a way that protects the intelligence sources that we need to protect.”

While Pompeo made a name for himself as a Republican congressman from Kansas excoriating Clinton over the email issue, the State Department under his leadership concluded just last year that while she had risked compromising classified information, she did not systematically or deliberately mishandle it.

The FBI declined to recommend charges against Clinton in 2016 but made its decision public, contributing to the political liability for her. It ultimately cost her in the final days of the campaign when the investigation was briefly reopened after the discovery of emails on the laptop of an aide’s estranged husband and then quickly closed again when no further evidence of wrongdoing was found.

President Donald Trump forced the State Department on Friday to commit to releasing at least some of Hillary Clinton’s emails before next month’s election, resurrecting a 4-year-old issue in hopes that it would prove as helpful to his political prospects as it was when he defeated her in 2016.

President Donald Trump forced the State Department on Friday to commit to releasing at least some of Hillary Clinton’s emails before next month’s election, resurrecting a 4-year-old issue in hopes that it would prove as helpful to his political prospects as it was when he defeated her in 2016. Trailing badly in the polls and eager to change the subject from the coronavirus, Trump succeeded in compelling Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to announce that he would make public the emails even as Attorney General William Barr resisted pressure from the president to prosecute Democrats like former Vice President Joe Biden, this year’s Democratic nominee. Still recovering from his own coronavirus infection, Trump made plans to host hundreds of supporters on the South Lawn of the White House on Saturday for his first in-person event since he tested positive last week, according to three people familiar with the schedule. The rally that he had previously said he wanted to hold Saturday in Florida will instead be held Monday, his campaign announced, as the president insisted on getting back on the road despite his illness. The burst of activity and machinations reflected a president grasping for a way to make up a double-digit polling deficit against Biden with 25 days left before the election on Nov. 3. Biden’s lead has remained stable for months and, if anything, expanded in recent days, despite every effort by the president to shift the momentum of the race. He lost one of the few obvious opportunities to transform the dynamics of the campaign Friday when the Commission on Presidential Debates formally canceled Thursday’s second showdown between Trump and Biden after the president refused to participate remotely. Also Read | Trump raises stimulus offer to USD 1.8 trillion days after halting negotiations Battered by an October surprise that Trump did not anticipate — his hospitalization from a virus that he had played down even as it has killed 213,000 people in the United States — the president appeared intent Friday on creating an October surprise more to his liking, in this case tarring Democrats by using the instruments of government power at his disposal. He publicly badgered Barr this week to indict Democrats connected to the original investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and any ties to Trump’s campaign, naming specifically Biden and former President Barack Obama. But Barr has told Republicans and others that he planned no major moves in his reexamination of the Russia investigation before Election Day. Three government officials briefed on the investigation said that they had been told that it was unlikely that John Durham, the prosecutor tapped by Barr to lead the inquiry, would produce indictments or any other developments that could affect the trajectory of the election before Nov. 3. “If that’s the case, I’m very disappointed,” Trump said Friday during a two-hour phone conversation with radio host Rush Limbaugh. “I think it’s a terrible thing, and I’ll say it to his face.” The president has been consumed for months with the hope that the Durham investigation would provide him evidence that the Russia inquiry was an effort to smear him. He has told advisers he hoped for indictments of top former Obama administration national security officials or even Obama or Biden themselves. Short of that, he hoped for a report with the imprimatur of the Justice Department detailing their actions in 2016, according to people briefed on the conversations. Beyond his public comments, the president has also conveyed to Barr, directly and through surrogates, that he wanted “scalps,” according to two government officials familiar with the conversations. The Justice Department declined to comment on the president’s remarks. While Barr defied the president’s desire for preelection action, Pompeo bowed to Trump’s wishes a day after he publicly chastised the secretary of state for not cooperating. Pompeo told Fox News that he would release at least some of Clinton’s emails from when she was secretary of state and using a private server. “We’ve got the emails,” Pompeo said. “We’re getting them out. We’re going to get all this information out so the American people can see it.” He made no effort to suggest that releasing them was unconnected to the political campaign. “We’re doing it as fast as we can,” he added. “I certainly think there’ll be more to see before the election.” Neither Trump nor Pompeo explained why they would release the emails now, in the final weeks of a hotly contested presidential campaign, given that they could have done so at any point in the past four years. Nor did they explain why they would seek to prove that Clinton was too casual with emails containing classified information by releasing emails containing classified information. But Pompeo said he did not expect Trump to declassify any documents that might include sensitive information that would be damaging to U.S. interests once it is made public. “We’ll get the information out that needs to get out,” Pompeo said. “We’ll do it in a way that protects the intelligence sources that we need to protect.” While Pompeo made a name for himself as a Republican congressman from Kansas excoriating Clinton over the email issue, the State Department under his leadership concluded just last year that while she had risked compromising classified information, she did not systematically or deliberately mishandle it. The FBI declined to recommend charges against Clinton in 2016 but made its decision public, contributing to the political liability for her. It ultimately cost her in the final days of the campaign when the investigation was briefly reopened after the discovery of emails on the laptop of an aide’s estranged husband and then quickly closed again when no further evidence of wrongdoing was found.

Election less than a month away, Trump leans on Barr and Pompeo for a lift

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has urged closer ties with India as he warned of China's growing might on its doorstep, amid a flurry of diplomacy between the world's two largest democracies. Watch report.

Mike Pompeo: India needs US as its ally

US President Donald Trump on Thursday voiced rare criticism of two of his most steadfast aides, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Attorney General Bill Barr, less than a month before elections.

Fuming in a telephone interview with Fox News, Trump, who has been forced off the campaign trail by a Covid-19 diagnosis, demanded that both cabinet members take action concerning the previous administration of Barack Obama.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/next-us-presidential-debate-to-be-virtual-trump-says-wont-participate-333504">Also read|&nbsp;Next US Presidential debate to be 'virtual'; Trump says won't 'participate'</a>

Trump said Pompeo should find a way to release emails from Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential candidate, a longstanding cause for Republican activists who attack her use of a private server while secretary of state.

"They're in the State Department but Mike Pompeo has been unable to get them out, which is very sad, actually," Trump said.

"I'm not happy about him for that reason," Trump said. "He's running the State Department -- you get them out."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/internet-goes-berserk-after-errant-housefly-on-pences-head-photobombs-vp-debate-333508">Also read|&nbsp;Internet goes berserk after errant housefly on Pence's head photobombs VP debate</a>

Pompeo has until now been one of the few aides never to cross the mercurial Trump, who has ruthlessly criticized both Pompeo's and Barr's predecessors after firing them.

Ironically, Pompeo rose to political prominence for his fiery tone in questioning Clinton when he was a congressman looking into the deadly attack on the US mission in Benghazi, Libya.

Trump -- who is trailing in polls to former vice president Joe Biden -- has been urging Barr to prosecute members of the Obama administration for investigating his campaign's relationship with Russia.

"To be honest, Bill Barr is either going to go down as the greatest attorney general in the history of the country or he's going to go down as a very sad situation," Trump said.

"I mean, I'll be honest with you, he's got all the information he needs," Trump said of indictments.

Trump has pushed a conspiracy theory that the Obama administration worked to thwart him through actions including the probe of the Russia "hoax."

An investigation by former FBI director Robert Mueller found that Russia sought to boost the Trump campaign.

Mueller provided significant evidence that Trump associates coordinated with, cooperated with, encouraged or gave support to Russia's interference. But the investigator said he didn't have enough to charge any campaign member with conspiracy.&nbsp;

Trump's first national security advisor, Michael Flynn, admitted he lied to the FBI about conversations with the Russian ambassador.

Barr, while seeing no grounds to indict Obama officials over the Russia probe, has been a vocal defender of the president.

Barr was a key figure in the forcible June 1 dispersal of anti-racism protesters outside the White House before Trump posed for pictures outside a nearby church.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday voiced rare criticism of two of his most steadfast aides, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Attorney General Bill Barr, less than a month before elections.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday voiced rare criticism of two of his most steadfast aides, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Attorney General Bill Barr, less than a month before elections. Fuming in a telephone interview with Fox News, Trump, who has been forced off the campaign trail by a Covid-19 diagnosis, demanded that both cabinet members take action concerning the previous administration of Barack Obama. Also read| Next US Presidential debate to be 'virtual'; Trump says won't 'participate' Trump said Pompeo should find a way to release emails from Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential candidate, a longstanding cause for Republican activists who attack her use of a private server while secretary of state. "They're in the State Department but Mike Pompeo has been unable to get them out, which is very sad, actually," Trump said. "I'm not happy about him for that reason," Trump said. "He's running the State Department -- you get them out." Also read| Internet goes berserk after errant housefly on Pence's head photobombs VP debate Pompeo has until now been one of the few aides never to cross the mercurial Trump, who has ruthlessly criticized both Pompeo's and Barr's predecessors after firing them. Ironically, Pompeo rose to political prominence for his fiery tone in questioning Clinton when he was a congressman looking into the deadly attack on the US mission in Benghazi, Libya. Trump -- who is trailing in polls to former vice president Joe Biden -- has been urging Barr to prosecute members of the Obama administration for investigating his campaign's relationship with Russia. "To be honest, Bill Barr is either going to go down as the greatest attorney general in the history of the country or he's going to go down as a very sad situation," Trump said. "I mean, I'll be honest with you, he's got all the information he needs," Trump said of indictments. Trump has pushed a conspiracy theory that the Obama administration worked to thwart him through actions including the probe of the Russia "hoax." An investigation by former FBI director Robert Mueller found that Russia sought to boost the Trump campaign. Mueller provided significant evidence that Trump associates coordinated with, cooperated with, encouraged or gave support to Russia's interference. But the investigator said he didn't have enough to charge any campaign member with conspiracy. Trump's first national security advisor, Michael Flynn, admitted he lied to the FBI about conversations with the Russian ambassador. Barr, while seeing no grounds to indict Obama officials over the Russia probe, has been a vocal defender of the president. Barr was a key figure in the forcible June 1 dispersal of anti-racism protesters outside the White House before Trump posed for pictures outside a nearby church.

Trump launches rare attack on loyal aides Pompeo, Barr

For Japan, it was the first time its new prime minister hosted international emissaries. For the United States, it was the first trip to Asia by its top diplomat in more than a year.

So when Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo greeted each other in front of a bank of American and Japanese flags Tuesday in Tokyo, they exchanged what was surely the longest fist bump in their nations’ seven-decade alliance, a nearly 15-second joining of knuckles.

The physicality of the gesture highlighted the importance that both sides put on meeting in person to demonstrate the solidity of their bond in the face of rising challenges from China, even amid a widening coronavirus outbreak inside the White House and Japan’s cautious approach to opening its borders to foreign travelers.

The Tokyo gathering, which included the foreign ministers of Australia and India — the other two members of a strategic partnership known as the Quad — was scheduled before President Donald Trump contracted the coronavirus. The fact that it went ahead, even as many summits have moved online during the pandemic, signaled that parts of the Trump administration value multilateral relationships despite his “America First” agenda.

“Given all the insanity that is going on in Washington, D.C., right now, this is a really positive development,” said Gordon Flake, chief executive of the Perth US-Asia Centre at the University of Western Australia.

“The fact that the U.S. is showing up despite all the other problems in the world and domestic problems in the White House right now shows the level of importance that even the U.S. places on these three key partners,” he added. “Without Japan, India and Australia, there really is no regional response to the security challenges of the coming decades.”

There is little question about from where those challenges are coming.

With Chinese military aggression rising in the region and Beijing cracking down on Hong Kong, the four countries are looking for ways to cooperate in military, economic and technological realms — and deliver a message of solidarity to a watchful Beijing.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-says-china-will-pay-big-price-for-coronavirus-outbreak-333368">Donald Trump says China will pay 'big price' for coronavirus outbreak</a>

As Trump has pulled the United States back from the global stage, China has had a “remarkably fertile environment for growing Chinese influence in the region and undermining the U.S. influence, which is the Chinese objective,” Flake said. Instead, its deepening hawkishness and authoritarianism have “served to alarm the region as a whole.”

Yet only the United States, which has taken an especially hard line against China — pushing relations to their lowest point in decades — seemed willing to name the threat explicitly in Tokyo.

In Pompeo’s remarks Tuesday evening, he said that the Quad’s members needed to protect their people from China’s “exploitation, corruption and coercion,” and he blamed China for a cover-up of the initial coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan. A statement about Pompeo’s meeting with the Australian foreign minister, Marise Payne, described their discussions of “China’s malign activity in the region.”

Payne’s comments on Facebook about the meeting with Pompeo did not call out China by name, but her implication was clear.

“Whether it is individual human rights, market-based economies, countering disinformation or building greater resilience into our supply chains,” she wrote, “our common values and interests mean we share a vision for a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific.”

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Diplomats and analysts know well that variations on the catchphrase “free and open Indo-Pacific” — which was invoked in remarks by Payne; Japan’s foreign minister, Toshimitsu Motegi; and India’s foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar — are all directed at China.

American officials have followed the bellicose example set by Trump, who has bashed China to improve his reelection prospects. The Quad’s other members, mindful of their geographic proximity and economic reliance on China, were more circumspect in their criticisms.

A day before the foreign ministers arrived in Tokyo, Katsunobu Kato, Japan’s chief Cabinet secretary, said that “stable relationships with both the U.S. and China, the two largest economic powers, are extremely important in the international community.”

Japan, aware of the economic might of its largest trading partner and its own limited military options, needs to pursue a delicate balancing act, experts said.

“When we talk about the Quad, some people express their concern about what China might think about it,” said Narushige Michishita, director of the Security and International Studies Program at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo. “If we talk about China in this setting, China would regard this as a containment conspiracy, so this sentiment still remains.”

The Quad, Michishita said, is “about China, but we say it’s not about China. Everybody knows it. China knows it. We don’t have to say it too much.”

Cooperation between the four countries, formally known as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, began in 2004 to coordinate disaster relief and humanitarian assistance in the wake of the devastating tsunami that killed hundreds of thousands across Indonesia, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka and South Africa.

But as the grouping evolved into a diplomatic and security partnership that Beijing perceived as a direct effort to contain its rise, Australia and India grew wary of a backlash from China, and the group collapsed.

“It was too early,” said Lavina Lee, a senior lecturer in international relations at Macquarie University in Sydney. The early version of the Quad “was preempting and creating a security dilemma where none existed.”

“But now we’re in a very different phase of history,” Lee said. “Since 2012, China has become much more clearly assertive and aggressive in terms of its territorial aggression and ambitions of where it sees itself in the region, and under COVID conditions that is not letting up at all.”

In June, China and India engaged in their worst border clash in 40 years, and relations between Australia and China have deteriorated since Australia attributed a surge of cyberattacks to Beijing and launched an investigation into allegations of a Chinese government plot to manipulate the country’s politics.

Japan has also grown more vigilant as China has repeatedly sent ships to patrol waters around the Senkaku Islands, administered by Japan but contested by China.

“If you had Venn diagrams and put together all of their definitions, I think you would see a fairly large overlap in how each of those four countries think about security in the region — that there should be freedom of navigation and open trade, and that countries should not be coerced into accepting outcomes that are against their interests,” said Bonnie Glaser, director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

While no joint statement was on the agenda for the four nations, they were expected to discuss the possible development of an investment fund to help developing Asian countries with infrastructure projects, a counter to China’s Belt and Road initiative; cooperation on supply chains to reduce reliance on China; the development of 5G networks that do not depend on Chinese technology giant Huawei; and an invitation to Australia to join naval war exercises with the other three countries.

For Japan, it was the first time its new prime minister hosted international emissaries. For the United States, it was the first trip to Asia by its top diplomat in more than a year.

For Japan, it was the first time its new prime minister hosted international emissaries. For the United States, it was the first trip to Asia by its top diplomat in more than a year. So when Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo greeted each other in front of a bank of American and Japanese flags Tuesday in Tokyo, they exchanged what was surely the longest fist bump in their nations’ seven-decade alliance, a nearly 15-second joining of knuckles. The physicality of the gesture highlighted the importance that both sides put on meeting in person to demonstrate the solidity of their bond in the face of rising challenges from China, even amid a widening coronavirus outbreak inside the White House and Japan’s cautious approach to opening its borders to foreign travelers. The Tokyo gathering, which included the foreign ministers of Australia and India — the other two members of a strategic partnership known as the Quad — was scheduled before President Donald Trump contracted the coronavirus. The fact that it went ahead, even as many summits have moved online during the pandemic, signaled that parts of the Trump administration value multilateral relationships despite his “America First” agenda. “Given all the insanity that is going on in Washington, D.C., right now, this is a really positive development,” said Gordon Flake, chief executive of the Perth US-Asia Centre at the University of Western Australia. “The fact that the U.S. is showing up despite all the other problems in the world and domestic problems in the White House right now shows the level of importance that even the U.S. places on these three key partners,” he added. “Without Japan, India and Australia, there really is no regional response to the security challenges of the coming decades.” There is little question about from where those challenges are coming. With Chinese military aggression rising in the region and Beijing cracking down on Hong Kong, the four countries are looking for ways to cooperate in military, economic and technological realms — and deliver a message of solidarity to a watchful Beijing. Also Read | Donald Trump says China will pay 'big price' for coronavirus outbreak As Trump has pulled the United States back from the global stage, China has had a “remarkably fertile environment for growing Chinese influence in the region and undermining the U.S. influence, which is the Chinese objective,” Flake said. Instead, its deepening hawkishness and authoritarianism have “served to alarm the region as a whole.” Yet only the United States, which has taken an especially hard line against China — pushing relations to their lowest point in decades — seemed willing to name the threat explicitly in Tokyo. In Pompeo’s remarks Tuesday evening, he said that the Quad’s members needed to protect their people from China’s “exploitation, corruption and coercion,” and he blamed China for a cover-up of the initial coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan. A statement about Pompeo’s meeting with the Australian foreign minister, Marise Payne, described their discussions of “China’s malign activity in the region.” Payne’s comments on Facebook about the meeting with Pompeo did not call out China by name, but her implication was clear. “Whether it is individual human rights, market-based economies, countering disinformation or building greater resilience into our supply chains,” she wrote, “our common values and interests mean we share a vision for a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific.” × Diplomats and analysts know well that variations on the catchphrase “free and open Indo-Pacific” — which was invoked in remarks by Payne; Japan’s foreign minister, Toshimitsu Motegi; and India’s foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar — are all directed at China. American officials have followed the bellicose example set by Trump, who has bashed China to improve his reelection prospects. The Quad’s other members, mindful of their geographic proximity and economic reliance on China, were more circumspect in their criticisms. A day before the foreign ministers arrived in Tokyo, Katsunobu Kato, Japan’s chief Cabinet secretary, said that “stable relationships with both the U.S. and China, the two largest economic powers, are extremely important in the international community.” Japan, aware of the economic might of its largest trading partner and its own limited military options, needs to pursue a delicate balancing act, experts said. “When we talk about the Quad, some people express their concern about what China might think about it,” said Narushige Michishita, director of the Security and International Studies Program at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo. “If we talk about China in this setting, China would regard this as a containment conspiracy, so this sentiment still remains.” The Quad, Michishita said, is “about China, but we say it’s not about China. Everybody knows it. China knows it. We don’t have to say it too much.” Cooperation between the four countries, formally known as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, began in 2004 to coordinate disaster relief and humanitarian assistance in the wake of the devastating tsunami that killed hundreds of thousands across Indonesia, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka and South Africa. But as the grouping evolved into a diplomatic and security partnership that Beijing perceived as a direct effort to contain its rise, Australia and India grew wary of a backlash from China, and the group collapsed. “It was too early,” said Lavina Lee, a senior lecturer in international relations at Macquarie University in Sydney. The early version of the Quad “was preempting and creating a security dilemma where none existed.” “But now we’re in a very different phase of history,” Lee said. “Since 2012, China has become much more clearly assertive and aggressive in terms of its territorial aggression and ambitions of where it sees itself in the region, and under COVID conditions that is not letting up at all.” In June, China and India engaged in their worst border clash in 40 years, and relations between Australia and China have deteriorated since Australia attributed a surge of cyberattacks to Beijing and launched an investigation into allegations of a Chinese government plot to manipulate the country’s politics. Japan has also grown more vigilant as China has repeatedly sent ships to patrol waters around the Senkaku Islands, administered by Japan but contested by China. “If you had Venn diagrams and put together all of their definitions, I think you would see a fairly large overlap in how each of those four countries think about security in the region — that there should be freedom of navigation and open trade, and that countries should not be coerced into accepting outcomes that are against their interests,” said Bonnie Glaser, director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. While no joint statement was on the agenda for the four nations, they were expected to discuss the possible development of an investment fund to help developing Asian countries with infrastructure projects, a counter to China’s Belt and Road initiative; cooperation on supply chains to reduce reliance on China; the development of 5G networks that do not depend on Chinese technology giant Huawei; and an invitation to Australia to join naval war exercises with the other three countries.

Pompeo’s message in Japan: Countering China is worth meeting face to face

SYDNEY — Xi Jinping celebrates China’s battle against the coronavirus as a success. But in the United States and other wealthy democracies, the pandemic has driven negative views of China to new heights, a survey published Tuesday showed.

The illness, deaths and disruption caused by the coronavirus in those countries have intensified already strong public distrust of China, where the virus emerged late last year, the results from the Pew Research Center’s survey indicated.

“Unfavorable opinion has soared over the past year,” said the survey on views of China taken this year in 14 countries including Japan, South Korea, Canada, and Germany, Italy and other European nations. “Today, a majority in each of the surveyed countries has an unfavorable opinion of China.”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/exit-the-dragon-china-faces-heat-as-citizens-across-countries-increasingly-view-it-in-bad-light-333033">Also read|&nbsp;Exit the dragon: China faces heat as citizens across countries increasingly view it in bad light</a>

The results illustrate how much negative opinions of China have taken hold around the world in recent years. To China’s leaders, such wary attitudes could present obstacles for the Communist Party’s ambitions of expanding Beijing’s influence. The tide of public distrust could make cooperation harder even on issues where national interests align.

“Public opinion is a powerful constraint,” said Natasha Kassam, a former Australian diplomat who is a research fellow at the Lowy Institute in Sydney, where she studies public opinion and foreign policy. “We can see in both Australia and the United States, for example, souring public opinion has served as a powerful driver for governments to be particularly vocal” about China.

The U.S. secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, was in Tokyo on Tuesday for meetings with his counterparts from Japan, Australia and India — all nations that have had icy relations with China. Pompeo is often condemned by Chinese officials as an ideological warrior bent on subduing Beijing.

In many Western countries, the coronavirus crisis appears to have deepened public unease about China and Xi, China’s proudly authoritarian leader. Across the 14 countries surveyed, an average of 61% of respondents said China had done a bad job of responding to the outbreak.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/around-40-nations-rebuke-chinas-human-rights-policies-in-xinjiang-tibet-333035">Also read|&nbsp;Around 40 nations rebuke China's human rights policies in Xinjiang, Tibet</a>

In the United States, negative views about China increased by 13 percentage points compared to a similar survey last year. Close to three-quarters of 1,003 American respondents surveyed in June and July said they now had a somewhat or very unfavorable view of China.

Distrust of Xi’s international intentions reached new highs in every country surveyed, except for Japan and Spain. In the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan and several Western European nations, roughly half of the respondents said they had “no confidence at all” in Xi.

“I think this sentiment is likely to persist because of longer-term trends in China toward growing repression,” said Jessica Chen Weiss, an associate professor of government at Cornell University who studies Chinese foreign policy. “As long as its order of priorities remains in place, it will be difficult for the Chinese Communist Party to really turn around the trends in public opinion overseas.”

The rise in disapproving opinions of China was starkest in Australia, which has been mired in diplomatic flare-ups with Beijing in recent months.

Australia has protested the detention in China of Cheng Lei, an Australian news anchor working for Chinese state-run television, and Yang Hengjun, an Australian businessman and writer born in China who is accused of espionage, charges that his supporters say are baseless.

The number of Australian respondents with negative views of China grew by 24 percentage points compared to a year ago, so that 81% said they saw China unfavorably. That was a drastic turn from 2017, when 64% of Australian respondents said they had a favorable view of China.

“Until two years ago, the Australian public very much saw China as an economic opportunity,” said Kassam, the Australian researcher. China’s response to the outbreak has only deepened skepticism in Australia, she said.

In interviews, several Sydney residents said that China could not be held entirely responsible for the global spread of the coronavirus but that the crisis had shown how exposed Australia, and the rest of the world, was to Chinese power.

“As far as I’m concerned, we should move away from China as quickly as possible. They’re too strong, and they can just outrun us,” said Edward Davis, a semiretired commercial lawyer. “We should do our best to trade with them, but we also need to diversify.”

At home, the Communist Party has tried to turn the coronavirus crisis into a political asset by assiduously censoring criticism of its early missteps in the outbreak and highlighting its later success in sharply reducing infections.

But abroad, the Chinese government’s sometimes-triumphant rhetoric and claims of selfless altruism during the crisis have grated in societies struggling to cope with outbreaks or lockdowns. European governments were irritated when China pressed European officials to praise China for medical supplies that it had sent, when Beijing had been muted about the help it provided in the first months of the pandemic. The combative language used by Chinese officials in international disputes has also irked many in Australia, Canada and other countries.

“Many Chinese people seem to have forgotten the first few scary weeks that we experienced, but other countries have not forgotten,” Shen Dingli, a professor of international relations at Fudan University in Shanghai, said by telephone. “It would be better if China had been more low-key and humble.”

The Chinese government has pushed back against the negative sentiment, asserting that it has been unfairly maligned by Western news outlets and politicians who want to escape responsibility for mishandling the crisis.

The Pew survey usually covers many more countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa, where the public often offers more upbeat views about China. But the pandemic made it impossible to organize safe and reliable face-to-face polling, reducing the international scope of the survey, said Laura Silver, a senior researcher at the Pew Research Center. The survey was conducted by telephone, with calls lasting about 15 minutes.

Public opinion in countries closely aligned with Beijing was likely to remain favorable to China despite the pandemic, Kassam said. “I think China’s handling of COVID has not so much changed any minds, but entrenched existing perceptions.”

Chinese leaders may feel some consolation that many respondents in the Pew survey took an even dimmer view of how the United States has handled the pandemic. An average of 84% of the people surveyed across the 14 countries said the United States had done a bad job with the coronavirus.

“In the end, this is more damaging for America than for China,” said Shen, the scholar in Shanghai. “China cannot be used to explain away the 210,000 American people who have died from this.”

SYDNEY — Xi Jinping celebrates China’s battle against the coronavirus as a success. But in the United States and other wealthy democracies, the pandemic has driven negative views of China to new heights, a survey published Tuesday showed.

SYDNEY — Xi Jinping celebrates China’s battle against the coronavirus as a success. But in the United States and other wealthy democracies, the pandemic has driven negative views of China to new heights, a survey published Tuesday showed. The illness, deaths and disruption caused by the coronavirus in those countries have intensified already strong public distrust of China, where the virus emerged late last year, the results from the Pew Research Center’s survey indicated. “Unfavorable opinion has soared over the past year,” said the survey on views of China taken this year in 14 countries including Japan, South Korea, Canada, and Germany, Italy and other European nations. “Today, a majority in each of the surveyed countries has an unfavorable opinion of China.” Also read| Exit the dragon: China faces heat as citizens across countries increasingly view it in bad light The results illustrate how much negative opinions of China have taken hold around the world in recent years. To China’s leaders, such wary attitudes could present obstacles for the Communist Party’s ambitions of expanding Beijing’s influence. The tide of public distrust could make cooperation harder even on issues where national interests align. “Public opinion is a powerful constraint,” said Natasha Kassam, a former Australian diplomat who is a research fellow at the Lowy Institute in Sydney, where she studies public opinion and foreign policy. “We can see in both Australia and the United States, for example, souring public opinion has served as a powerful driver for governments to be particularly vocal” about China. The U.S. secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, was in Tokyo on Tuesday for meetings with his counterparts from Japan, Australia and India — all nations that have had icy relations with China. Pompeo is often condemned by Chinese officials as an ideological warrior bent on subduing Beijing. In many Western countries, the coronavirus crisis appears to have deepened public unease about China and Xi, China’s proudly authoritarian leader. Across the 14 countries surveyed, an average of 61% of respondents said China had done a bad job of responding to the outbreak. Also read| Around 40 nations rebuke China's human rights policies in Xinjiang, Tibet In the United States, negative views about China increased by 13 percentage points compared to a similar survey last year. Close to three-quarters of 1,003 American respondents surveyed in June and July said they now had a somewhat or very unfavorable view of China. Distrust of Xi’s international intentions reached new highs in every country surveyed, except for Japan and Spain. In the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan and several Western European nations, roughly half of the respondents said they had “no confidence at all” in Xi. “I think this sentiment is likely to persist because of longer-term trends in China toward growing repression,” said Jessica Chen Weiss, an associate professor of government at Cornell University who studies Chinese foreign policy. “As long as its order of priorities remains in place, it will be difficult for the Chinese Communist Party to really turn around the trends in public opinion overseas.” The rise in disapproving opinions of China was starkest in Australia, which has been mired in diplomatic flare-ups with Beijing in recent months. Australia has protested the detention in China of Cheng Lei, an Australian news anchor working for Chinese state-run television, and Yang Hengjun, an Australian businessman and writer born in China who is accused of espionage, charges that his supporters say are baseless. The number of Australian respondents with negative views of China grew by 24 percentage points compared to a year ago, so that 81% said they saw China unfavorably. That was a drastic turn from 2017, when 64% of Australian respondents said they had a favorable view of China. “Until two years ago, the Australian public very much saw China as an economic opportunity,” said Kassam, the Australian researcher. China’s response to the outbreak has only deepened skepticism in Australia, she said. In interviews, several Sydney residents said that China could not be held entirely responsible for the global spread of the coronavirus but that the crisis had shown how exposed Australia, and the rest of the world, was to Chinese power. “As far as I’m concerned, we should move away from China as quickly as possible. They’re too strong, and they can just outrun us,” said Edward Davis, a semiretired commercial lawyer. “We should do our best to trade with them, but we also need to diversify.” At home, the Communist Party has tried to turn the coronavirus crisis into a political asset by assiduously censoring criticism of its early missteps in the outbreak and highlighting its later success in sharply reducing infections. But abroad, the Chinese government’s sometimes-triumphant rhetoric and claims of selfless altruism during the crisis have grated in societies struggling to cope with outbreaks or lockdowns. European governments were irritated when China pressed European officials to praise China for medical supplies that it had sent, when Beijing had been muted about the help it provided in the first months of the pandemic. The combative language used by Chinese officials in international disputes has also irked many in Australia, Canada and other countries. “Many Chinese people seem to have forgotten the first few scary weeks that we experienced, but other countries have not forgotten,” Shen Dingli, a professor of international relations at Fudan University in Shanghai, said by telephone. “It would be better if China had been more low-key and humble.” The Chinese government has pushed back against the negative sentiment, asserting that it has been unfairly maligned by Western news outlets and politicians who want to escape responsibility for mishandling the crisis. The Pew survey usually covers many more countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa, where the public often offers more upbeat views about China. But the pandemic made it impossible to organize safe and reliable face-to-face polling, reducing the international scope of the survey, said Laura Silver, a senior researcher at the Pew Research Center. The survey was conducted by telephone, with calls lasting about 15 minutes. Public opinion in countries closely aligned with Beijing was likely to remain favorable to China despite the pandemic, Kassam said. “I think China’s handling of COVID has not so much changed any minds, but entrenched existing perceptions.” Chinese leaders may feel some consolation that many respondents in the Pew survey took an even dimmer view of how the United States has handled the pandemic. An average of 84% of the people surveyed across the 14 countries said the United States had done a bad job with the coronavirus. “In the end, this is more damaging for America than for China,” said Shen, the scholar in Shanghai. “China cannot be used to explain away the 210,000 American people who have died from this.”

Distrust of China jumps to new highs in democratic nations

QUAD foreign ministers meet - India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have met in Tokyo. While they have been in touch with each other for past few months, amid the covid crisis--this is the first in-person meeting between the two.

This is also the first meeting Jaishankar and Pompeo amid India-China tensions since May of this year. Both countries have seen increased convergencies on several issues, from security to Indo Pacific.

Later today in Tokyo foreign minister of all four Quad countries - India, US, Japan and Australia will meet. US Secretary of state Mike Pompeo, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi will be present in the meet for the face to face meeting, a first amid the pandemic.

This is the second such Quad FMs meet. Last year, all FMs of Quad countries met on the sidelines of the United Nations General assembly.

This will be first such major diplomatic engagement of the new Japanese Prime minister Yoshihide Suga. The grouping, whose focus is on "free and open" Indo Pacific is viewed suspiciously by China.

QUAD foreign ministers meet - India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have met in Tokyo. While they have been in touch with each other for past few months, amid the covid crisis--this is the first in-person meeting between the two.

QUAD foreign ministers meet - India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have met in Tokyo. While they have been in touch with each other for past few months, amid the covid crisis--this is the first in-person meeting between the two. This is also the first meeting Jaishankar and Pompeo amid India-China tensions since May of this year. Both countries have seen increased convergencies on several issues, from security to Indo Pacific. Later today in Tokyo foreign minister of all four Quad countries - India, US, Japan and Australia will meet. US Secretary of state Mike Pompeo, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi will be present in the meet for the face to face meeting, a first amid the pandemic. This is the second such Quad FMs meet. Last year, all FMs of Quad countries met on the sidelines of the United Nations General assembly. This will be first such major diplomatic engagement of the new Japanese Prime minister Yoshihide Suga. The grouping, whose focus is on "free and open" Indo Pacific is viewed suspiciously by China.

QUAD foreign ministers meet: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meet in Tokyo

Watch today in WION Dispatch: The Quad members' relations has been tensed with China. The United States of America has accused China for covering up COVID-19 from the world initially.

WION Dispatch: Quad members' tense relations with China, US accuses China for COVID

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