China’s embassies to Suriname and Guyana on Friday accused U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo of “spreading rumors” and “smearing” Beijing, after Washington’s top diplomat criticized Chinese companies during a four-stop South America tour.
In a joint appearance with newly elected Surinamese President Chan Santokhi on Thursday, Pompeo said Chinese companies often do not compete on a “fair and equitable basis.”
“We’ve watched the Chinese Communist Party invest in countries, and it all seems great at the front end and then it all comes falling down when the political costs connected to that becomes clear,” Pompeo said.