By Le Shui  Courtesy http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/

While the US presidential election is in full swing, the US State Secretary Mike Pompeo made a long trip to Asia that took him to India, Sri Lanka, Mal Dives, and Indonesia. It is America’s diplomatic convention that senior government officials would suspend their diplomatic activities when the presidential election comes to the home stretch. Still, Pompeo’s unconventional move came as no surprise as anyone could see through the real intention of his trip – to form a so-called Asian version of NATO to reinforce Trump’s anti-China stance and help him get reelected.

Before his four-leg Asian tour, Pompeo had just participated earlier this month in the quadrilateral China-bashing meeting attended by the US, Japan, India and Australia, laying bare his attempt to form an Asian NATO. But that is perhaps just Washington’s wishing thinking since the Asian countries that have enjoyed peaceful co-existence with China for long years are not necessarily willing to be its cat’s paw.

As it happened, even before Pompeo set off, there were large-scale protests in Sri Lanka opposing his visit and warning him not to interfere in the country’s sovereignty. Sri Lankan media quoted a senior official of Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry , who didn’t wish to be named, as saying that the president, prime minister, and foreign minister of Sri Lanka would all inform Pompeo that their country doesn’t need anyone from outside to tell them how to run the country. The unanimous opposition from Sri Lankan officials and civilians was a heavy slap on Pompeo’s face.  

Coincidentally, Indonesia showed no interest in the Asian version of NATO and expressed its concerns about the US-Japan-India-Australia consultation held earlier this month. The Jakarta Post wrote, this will bring new turmoil to security and aggravate political tension.” It’s worth noting that Indonesia has repeatedly rejected America’s requests to land and refuel US military aircraft at its domestic airports this year.

It’s no surprise that Asian countries would backlash against Pompeo’s anti-China rhetoric as regional countries have the correct judgment of right and wrong, gains and losses. Previously, senior American officials claimed to be ready to work with Sri Lanka anytime and promised military assistance in the attempt to drag the country into its anti-China alliance,” but they never mentioned any details of cooperation, which fits America’s diplomatic custom to pay lip service only. Colombo knows only too well what Washington has in mind and has declared that the country, only committed to national development, especially infrastructure construction, would not join the anti-China alliance unless the US could offer investment as attractive as that from China.

Pompeo’s attempt to form the anti-China alliance is against the fundamental interests of countries in Asia and beyond. While the COVID-19 pandemic remains concerning and the world economy struggles to recover, what people need is solidarity in fighting the virus and actions of win-win cooperation, not the poison to international relations that Washington is peddling hard. The US has no intention of giving Sri Lanka any tangible help; it just wants the country to be its pawn and serve its political agenda. The so-called Asian NATO is nothing but a bulwark for it to rope in Asian countries to form a front against China. Should any country dare to show any sign of disobedience, what awaits it would be big sticks. Washington’s earlier coercion of Britain into casting off Huawei and the announcement of pulling its troops from Germany were tangible proof of its hegemonism and Cold War mentality.

Disclaimer: This article is originally published on china.com.cn and translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.