Businesses must recognize risk of doing business with CCP: Pompeo
Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and President Tsai Ing-wen gave opening remarks at an annual business conference in Kaohsiung on Wednesday. In his address, Pompeo identified China as the real culprit behind regional threats. He also emphasized that the U.S. has come to recognize the risk associated with doing business with China, walking back its trade policy of several decades.
On Sept. 28, President Tsai Ing-wen and former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo opened the annual conference of the World Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce, held in Kaohsiung this year. Tsai thanked Pompeo for once again visiting Taiwan.
Tsai Ing-wen
President
I look forward for us to keep working together in the future, more opportunities for exchanges and cooperation between Taiwan and the U.S. On this occasion, I would like to express my gratitude to Taiwanese businesses for promoting our diplomacy and deepening other countries’ knowledge on Taiwan.
The occasion also coincided with the third day of Pompeo’s Taiwan visit, during which he emphasized that threats to the region cannot be attributed to the U.S., nor to Taiwan. Rather, the Chinese Communist Party is culpable, he said.
Mike Pompeo
Former US secretary of state
We’ve seen your president and others in your country talk about basic rights to defend their own sovereignty and make decisions for themselves. Some in the global news, and many from the Chinese propaganda machine, will say: this is provocative, this is threatening. We should never forget who’s threatening. It is not the great people of Taiwan. It is not the United States of America.
Addressing the Taiwanese business community, Pompeo said the U.S. no longer encouraged its businesses to invest in China as it used to, large and attractive the Chinese market may be. Instead, he added that one must understand the risk posed by the CCP to the free world.
Mike Pompeo
Former US secretary of state
Over the past decades, [the U.S. government] has encouraged American businesses to invest inside of China, to invest alongside the Chinese Communist Party. It was American policy for decades. It’s no longer the case. We should all understand the risk associated with working alongside the Chinese Communist Party.
The evening before, Pompeo attended a banquet held by the Kaohsiung City government. Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai made a case for investing in Taiwan under a global restructuring of supply chains, as a means to safeguard regional security.
Chen Chi-mai
Kaohsiung mayor
Democratic countries, apart from promoting democracy and collaborating on security issues, should construct an integrated global supply chain, which will be immensely helpful for Taiwan’s security.
After 30 hours in Kaohsiung, Pompeo went on to Tainan, for more engagements with Taiwan’s local business community.
2022-09-28