Mike Pompeo's Visit And US Efforts To Make China A Common Enemy

JAKARTA - United States (US) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will fly to India next week to strengthen strategic ties. India is a country that is locked in a military stalemate with China and it is estimated that the US will support India to fight China.

As part of the intensifying backlash against China's growing economic and military power in the region, Pompeo will also pay visits to Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Two countries in the Indian Ocean are struggling over a pile of debt with China that was issued to finance major infrastructure projects.

Quoting Reuters, Saturday, October 24, Pompeo will conclude his visit to Indonesia in the last week leading up to the US election. Indonesia itself is experiencing a territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea.

"We look forward to strengthening critical relationships with our friends and partners, emphasizing our deep commitment to the Indo-Pacific and advancing our vision for long-term partnerships and prosperity in the region," said Dean Thompson, deputy assistant principal secretary at the Bureau of South Asian Affairs. and Middle Department of Foreign Affairs.

The US has stepped up diplomatic pressure on China and President Donald Trump has made China an important part of his campaign to secure a second term. Pompeo also chaired a meeting of foreign ministers from India, Japan and Australia in Tokyo, a group called the 'Quad' and became a bulwark against China's growing assertiveness in the region.

"This is more about real foreign policy than domestic politics," said Greg Poling, a maritime security expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

"Yes, Pompeo's anti-China rhetoric is mostly about elections, but the broader US push to strengthen the Quad, deepen ties with Taiwan, raise attention in the South China Sea and more, is driven by policy professionals like politicians."

Next month, India will host 'Malabar', the largest naval exercise in years with Quad members. The exercise has been strongly opposed by China in the past.

India's decision to expand military drills comes at a time when India is running into a military dispute over a disputed land border with China. Thousands of troops are near the western Himalayas, where India says Chinese troops have infiltrated the de facto side of the border. China denies any disturbances and says India has built roads and other infrastructure in the disputed region causing a crisis between the two countries.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said that the US is oppressing other countries to get all countries on their side regarding tensions with China. But Zhao Lijian insisted such efforts would not work.

During Pompeo's visit, which Secretary of Defense Mark Esper will join, India is expected to sign an agreement that will give him access to US satellite data. This is to help improve missile and drone targeting, Indian officials said.

Meanwhile Pompeo's visit to Indonesia comes amid growing competition from the US, China and several Southeast Asian countries, especially in the South China Sea, which China claims almost entirely. This claim is opposed by many countries in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia.