Washington: Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney mocked this week’s Washington visit by China’s likely future leader as “empty pomp and ceremony” and said a country that represses its people cannot be a trusted partner.
Also Thursday, U.S. senators voiced concern over economic espionage and cyberattacks against American targets emanating from China that could threaten U.S. national security and prosperity.
The strongest criticisms came from Romney in a written commentary in The Wall Street Journal, apparently timed for the continuing U.S. visit by China’s Vice President Xi Jinping, who is currently in Iowa.
He said Obama has failed to support dissidents and speak out against barbaric practices related to China's one-child policy. AP
Xi’s visit is seen as a prelude to his ascent as China’s leader. On Tuesday, he received a grand Washington welcome, with a 19-gun salute at the Pentagon and a long meeting with President Barack Obama. The two traded kind words of cooperation, but also addressed their differences on human rights and economic issues.
Romney accused Obama of being weak on China, and wrote that “the shining accomplishment” of the meetings in Washington this week with Xi Jinpin was “empty pomp and ceremony.”
He said Obama has failed to support dissidents and speak out against barbaric practices related to China’s one-child policy.
“A nation that represses its own people cannot ultimately be a trusted partner in an international system based on economic and political freedom,” Romney said.
He reiterated that unless China “changes its ways” he would designate it as a currency manipulator on the first day of his presidency if elected.
Despite legislation presented by both Republican and Democrat lawmakers, Obama has avoided that step, although he has stepped up trade complaints against Beijing.
Romney also vowed to meet China’s growing military might by boosting U.S. military power in the Pacific. He contended Obama’s “pivot” toward Asia would be undermined by defense cuts.
At a congressional hearing Thursday on worldwide security threats, Republican Sen. John McCain voiced concern of a “non-transparent build-up” of China’s military and its provocative acts against its neighbors in the South China Sea.
Speaking at the Senate Armed Services Committee, McCain said cyberattacks on American targets by Chinese actors, likely with Chinese government involvement in many cases, was growing increasingly severe and damaging.
The Democrat committee chair, Sen. Carl Levin, cited a recent intelligence report that attacks from entities operating from within China and Russia were responsible for “massive and routine theft of U.S. commercial and military technology.”
U.S. officials have been careful not to directly blame cyberattacks on China’s army, but Defense Intelligence Agency director Lt. Gen. Ronald Burgess said “entities” in both China and Russia were responsible for illicit intrusions into U.S. computer networks.
In his prepared testimony, Burgess said China has used its intelligence services to obtain U.S. military technology.
“In recent years, multiple cases of economic espionage and theft of dual-use and military technology have uncovered pervasive Chinese collection efforts,” he said.
AP
