NEW DELHI: US National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien on Saturday accused China of trying to take control of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) by force, even as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Beijing has amassed more than 60,000 troops on India’s northern border. O’Brien said the time has come to realise that talks will not help change China’s aggressive stance.
“There’s nothing to be gained from looking the other way or turning the other cheek. We’ve been doing that for far too long.” US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, after a meeting with the foreign ministers of the other three Quad countries in Tokyo, lashed out at Beijing for its “bad behaviour”.
“The Indians are seeing 60,000 Chinese soldiers on their northern border,” he said during an interview upon his return from Tokyo.
He added that India will “absolutely need” US help to fight China, which poses a great danger to regional stability.
“I was with my foreign minister counterparts from India, Australia and Japan a format that we call the ‘Quad’, four big democracies, four powerful economies, four nations, each of whom has real risk associated with the threats imposed, attempting to be imposed by the Chines e Communist Party,” Pompeo said, adding the Quad nations are now beginning to realise that “we slept off the China threat for too long”. Pompeo also lashed out at the previous US administrations for its China policy.
“For decades, the West allowed the Chinese Communist Party to walk all over us. The previous administration bent a knee, too often allowed China to steal our intellectual properties and the millions of jobs that came along with it. They see that in their country too.” The US state secretary said it was agreed in the Quad meeting to develop policies that can collectively counter the threats posed by China. Pompeo had met Foreign Minister S Jaishankar on the sidelines of the Quad meet.
The two leaders agreed to work together to improve peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region and across the world, sources said. Tensions between India and China have been on the rise since the violent face-off in Galwan Valley on June 15.