Four facets of Pompeo's tour form a 'Pompeo scheme'

The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrapped up his five-nation tour with a sudden and unscheduled visit to Vietnam. Evaluating his week-long trip crossing South and Southeast Asia, the best term is undoubtedly "coercion co-existing with fraud". Statements, speeches and interviews by all relevant people and departments during his visit have brought a well-planned Pompeo scheme to surface.

US Department of State: Glamorous purpose

The US Department of State announced that Pompeo's visit aimed at underscoring   commitment to global and regional peace and stability.

For India: "Advance Global Strategic Partnership and expand cooperation to promote stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and the world."

For Sri Lanka: "Advance our common goals for a free and open Indo-Pacific region."

For Maldives: "Reaffirm close bilateral relationship and advance partnership on issues ranging from regional maritime security to the fight against terrorism."

For Indonesia: "Deliver public remarks, affirm the two countries' vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific."

For Vietnam: "Reaffirm the strength of the US-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership, promote shared commitment to a peaceful and prosperous region."

Pompeo: Everything anti-Chinese

Contrary to the statement by the US State Department, Pompeo's activities in the five countries had nothing to do with the commitment to regional security and stability, but have a strong anti-China characteristic.

In Sri Lanka, he said the Chinese Communist Party was a "predator" while "the US comes in a different way, we come as a friend, as a partner". He accused China of luring Sri Lanka into a "debt trap".

In Maldives, Pompeo attacked China, that the "Chinese Communist Party continues its lawless and threatening behavior". He announced the opening of an embassy in Male to help counter China's expanding influence in the region.

In Indonesia, Pompeo lauded both Indonesia and ASEAN for standing up to China, rejecting China's legitimate claims in the South China Sea. He said, "Our law-abiding nations reject the unlawful claims by the Chinese Communist Party in the South China Sea as is clear from Indonesia's courageous leadership on this subject within ASEAN and at the United Nations."

In Vietnam, Pompeo did not mention China by name, but he emphasized, "We have enormous respect for the Vietnamese people and your country's sovereignty." Bear in mind, the word "sovereignty" has become code for referring to opposition to so-called Chinese "encroachment", particularly in Asia, regarding the South China Sea.

Regional officials: Security and stability

Pompeo's repeated and untiringly anti-Chinese rhetoric indicates the US's desperate attempt to these countries' entry into some sort of US-led anti-China club, but the response by regional high officials indicates that his wish is destined to fail, as security and stability are the common interests of the region.

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa tweeted: "Sri Lanka will always maintain a neutral stand in foreign policy and will not get entangled in struggles between power blocs." Rajapaksa's office also released a statement on Oct 28 rejecting the accusation that China was attempting to trap the country into debt.

Indonesian foreign minister Retno Marsudi said, "I reemphasized the need to pursue inclusive cooperation amidst this challenging time; I underlined the need for every country to be part of the solution in the collective contribution towards world peace, stability and prosperity." She added that the president urged Pompeo to "understand Southeast Asia and Southeast Asian countries so as to create peace, stability and cooperation in the region".

The public and the masses: Neutrality

The view of the public in the region is also clear-cut.

Dino Patti Djalal, chairman of the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia, stated, "No Southeast Asian nation has been willing to support the Trump administration's hostile and ideological position on China."

Hanh Nguyen, a Vietnamese analyst, mentioned, "(Southeast Asia states) regard China as an indispensable partner for the region's development and prosperity, acknowledging that Southeast Asian fortunes are tied to China's continued stability and growth."

Truths or lies?

The story told by the US is nothing more than a Pompeo scheme, despite Pompeo's deceptive rhetoric of freedom and security. Pompeo has labeled China and the Chinese Communist Party as "lawless". In the story, China does not respect international rules, ensnares small countries into debt traps, and makes irredentist claims on territory.

But regional response by both state officials and the public should and have seen through the scam. Their response affirms that if the US wants them to choose sides, disappointment looms.

For the region, especially Southeast Asia, staying centrality fulfills the common interest of most countries. As Retno said, "ASEAN must always cooperate to maintain our regional peace and stability and not be dragged into the storm of geopolitical tension or be forced to choose sides."

Regional countries facing the lures and threats from the US, therefore, should stay calm and awake, and bravely debunk the Pompeo scheme.

Xu Xiaodong is a postdoctoral researcher at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies. The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of China Daily and China Daily website.

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