The Chinese Embassy in Costa Rica on Wednesday said Mike Pompeo had “issued erroneous remarks” when the U.S. Secretary of State advised Costa Rica about the dangers of an economic reliance on China.
During his visit to Costa Rica on Tuesday, Pompeo said the United States “approaches our economic relationship in the spirit of partnership.”
“That’s a stark contrast to the flashy promises from the Chinese government that have often produced only debt, dependency, and even the erosion of sovereignty from some nations,” the U.S. Secretary of State argued.
The Chinese Embassy in Costa Rica responded by saying the two countries’ alliance has been an “exemplary case of friendly cooperation between countries of different national sizes and realities.”
“Mike Pompeo issued erroneous remarks about China, to which we express our strong discontent and energetic rejection,” a statement from the Chinese Embassy reads.
“Mr. Pompeo, during his short visit to Costa Rica, following his usual style of speaking irresponsibly, criticized arbitrarily and without any basis.”
Costa Rica established diplomatic ties with China in 2007, severing its ties with Taiwan. The new alliance has resulted in Costa Rica’s new National Stadium — a gift from China — a cooperation agreement as part of the Silk Road Economic Belt, and a National Police Academy.
“We advise Mr. Pompeo to recover rationality as soon as possible, take care of his own affairs and stop spreading false rumors about China,” the Embassy statement reads.
Pompeo’s visit to Costa Rica was the first for a sitting U.S. Secretary of State in a decade.
During a later stop in Jamaica, Pompeo made similar claims about Cuba and Russia, saying the two nations “continue to meddle in the sovereign affairs of nations, trying to destabilize democracies.”
