#SocialMedia #Privacy #UserData
Pompeo Praises Google, Facebook and Twitter for Refusing to Surrender User Data to Hong Kong Government
 
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has expressed thanks to Google, Facebook and Twitter for refusing to surrender user data to the Hong Kong government.  He has also encouraged other companies to do the same.
 
At a White House press conference, Pompeo criticised Beijing for its inconsistency, "Beijing said that for 50 years they’d give the people of Hong Kong 'a high degree of autonomy.' And you all have seen what’s happened after only 23 years – empty promises made to the people of Hong Kong and to the world."
 
Many mainstream social media platforms, including Google, Facebook, Twitter, Telegram and WhatsApp have recently expressed that they will stop processing requests from the Hong Kong government for user information disclosure, after Beijing's forceful implementation of the National Security Law.  
 
Source:  Stand News  #Jul8
 #Twitter #FaceBook #Google #Pompeo

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Nathan Law: Meeting with Pompeo, Call for International Solidarity Against CCP

I met Pompeo on 21 July afternoon in London. We discussed the situation in Hong Kong after the implementation of the National Security Law, the CCP’s policies for Hong Kong in recent years, and the international community's policies towards China in the future.

I mentioned that 610 000 Hongkongers stood up to vote in the first pan-democratic primary election despite the white terror, showing that Hongkongers will continue to fight for democracy and freedom. However Beijing chose to ignore the people's mandate, and was even planning to disqualify candidates by made-up reasons, perhaps even cancelling the LegCo election in September. This kind of disqualification would be treated as a severe election fraud by any international standard, challenging the core values of democracy. I urged the international society to take a strong stance against such behaviour.

I also mentioned that it has been 1 year since the 7.21 incident. I believe with the terror of the National Security Law and Wuhan Pneumonia, Hong Kong is quietly waiting for a better time to start another round of large-scale protest.

The CCP tends to persecute its fringe regions to win support from the majority of its people. Therefore the International community should continue to observe the human rights situation in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong. We exchanged our thoughts on CCP's policies, and how the world should restructure its strategies against China in order to secure the fruits of our democratic system.

I met Pompeo last time in May 2019 in Washington, along with pan-democratic leaders Martin Lee and Margaret Ng. One year has passed, and the world and Hong Kong have changed drastically. I thank the US Embassy in London and Hong Kong Watch for arranging this meeting.

When Pompeo representing Kansas in early 2015, he was one of the few representatives who supported the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act. During this meeting, I told him frankly about the situation of Hongkongers who were forced to leave their hometown. I hope that Pompeo can understand better the challenges faced by the young people of Hong Kong. I hope for more opportunities to meet with American politicians, and press for a stronger international response against the expanding authoritarian powers of the Chinese Communist Party.

Source:
https://t.me/HKinternationalfront

#NathanLaw #Pompeo #HumanRight #Democray #Freedom #US #HK #CCP

Pompeo: Not Cold War 2.0 – CCP Threat Worse than Soviet Union

Source: Stand News #Aug13
#US #China #CzechRepublic #SovietUnion #ColdWar #Pompeo #Diplomacy #History #ForeignInfluence

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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/24480

Pompeo: Not Cold War 2.0 – CCP Threat Worse than Soviet Union

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, "What's happening now isn't Cold War 2.0", as the threat China poses to Western countries is in some ways "worse" than that posed by the former Soviet Union.

Addressing the Czech Senate on his first stop of the five-day visit to Central Europe on Wednesday, August 12, Pompeo spoke about "the challenge of resisting the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] threat is in some ways worse" than that during the cold war, because “the CCP is already enmeshed in our economies, in our politics, in our societies in ways the Soviet Union never was.”

In his speech, he recalled the years of Soviet suppression of the Czech Republic. While Russia continues to "undermine" Czech democracy and security using disinformation campaigns and cyberattacks, Pompeo believes that China would pose an even greater threat because of her "campaigns of coercion of control". As an example, he cited the cancellation of the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra's concert tour in China due to Prague Mayor Zdeněk Hřib's pro-Taiwan policies, arguing that this shows that “the CCP leverages economic power to coerce countries".

Pompeo also mentioned that during the Cold War, the Czech Republic, "and others that suffered behind the Iron Curtain, know best of all how deeply communists plunge societies into ruin and repression". He urged Czech senators to "stand up for the sovereignty and freedoms" that the Czech people demanded for their country between 1968 and 1989.

Source: Stand News #Aug13
#US #China #CzechRepublic #SovietUnion #ColdWar #Pompeo #Diplomacy #History #ForeignInfluence

Pompeo signs 5G Clean Network Security joint declaration with Slovenia

Source: Apple Daily #Aug14
#Pompeo #5G #Huawei #US #CleanNet #Slovenia #CentralEurope

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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/24482

Pompeo signs 5G Clean Network Security joint declaration with Slovenia

The U.S. and Slovenia have signed a joint declaration on "5G Clean Network Security" that aims to keep untrusted telecommunications vendors out of Slovenia, meaning the country's 5G network will bar Chinese companies like Huawei. The U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is on a visit to Central Europe, said in a press conference "Free nations must work together to confront authoritarian threats”.

Pompeo met with Slovenian officials in the mountain lake town of Bled, Slovenia, known as the "most beautiful castle" in the country. He said, "The tide is turning against the Chinese Communist Party and its efforts to control information". Over the past year, the U.S. has signed similar agreements with Poland, Estonia and the Czech Republic, pledging that 5G suppliers would not be subject to control by a foreign government without independent judicial review, which effectively excludes Chinese telecommunication equipment makers such as Huawei from their 5G network.

Source: Apple Daily #Aug14
#Pompeo #5G #Huawei #US #CleanNet #Slovenia #CentralEurope

https://hk.appledaily.com/international/20200814/BVUIGKWJL5CY7CELAXNIG3ILD4/

Trump hints at banning more Chinese firms, Alibaba included

US President Donald Trump considers more Chinese companies sanctions and Alibaba could be the next target.

Asked at a press conference whether other Chinese companies such as Alibaba would be banned after targeting TikTok, President Trump replied, “Well, we're looking at other things, yes.”

According to a recent CNN analysis, Trump called Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba, a friend of his after Ma said he would donate supplies to the US for fighting the pandemic. Still, Alibaba might become the next target. In a statement made earlier this month, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the expansion of the Clean Network programme. He called on US allies around the world to prevent intellectual property, including COVID-19 vaccine research, from being stored and accessed on Chinese cloud-based service providers as such as Alibaba, Baidu, China Mobile, China Telecom and Tencent.

Source: Stand News #Aug16
#Alibaba #JackMa #CleanNetwork #Pompeo #US #Trump #Sanctions

Target to close all Confucius Institutes at America universities by the end of this year, Pompeo: China’s challenges are different from those during the Cold War

Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, stated in an interview on Tuesday local time (1st September), hoping that all Confucius Institutes at America universities can be closed before the end of this year, and said “I believe everyone can see the risks that related with China”.

In an interview with the Fox Business News, Pompeo stated that the Confucius Institutes which sponsored by the Chinese government are trying to recruit spies and collaborators from America universities, and believed that the universities should be aware of this problem. He said frankly, “I hope in the end of this year, we can close them all”. The US State Department announced in mid-August, that the Confucius Institutes to be registered as ‘Foreign Mission’. Pompeo described such organisation as ‘an entity that promotes Beijing’s global propaganda and vicious influence’. David Stilwell, the Chief Diplomat of the East Coast region, also asked those universities to ‘carefully’ understand what the Confucius Institutes have done.

The Sino-US relation has become increasingly tense, but when Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the event of the French Institutes of International Relations few days ago, he had stated that ‘China never want a new Cold War’, and thought that “it is impossible to have a ‘new cold war’, to divide the world into two or three parties” in the era of globalization. In the interview that Pompeo had spoken with the Fox Business News, he responded that the Cold War analogy has a certain significance, but emphasized that the challenges from China are a bit different now, and US is also in face of economic challenge.

Pompeo pointed out that in response to the challenges, the Trump government has already taken various actions to limit the Huawei and other Chinese companies, and will see more actions and new announcements in the coming days. He said, “I hope in the coming days and weeks, I will see the US responding these challenges seriously, and all of this are for the sake of America’s economic benefits”.

Source from: Standnews #Sep02

#US #China #Trumpgovernment #confuciusinstitute #Mike #Pompeo

Belarusian Authorities said opposition attempts to seize power harm national security; Opposition leader calls citizens to stand up, or become a slave

After the Belarusian presidential election in early August, mass demonstrations broke out, with citizens forming human chains to protest against tyrannical rule. The opposition announced the establishment of a Coordination Committee earlier, requesting the government to discuss the transfer of power. The Belarusian General Prosecutor’s Office then charged the Committee on 20th August with suspicion of endangering national security.

The opposition announced the establishment of the Coordination Committee on 18th August, calling for government talks on the transfer of power. Members include Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, an opposition leader exiled to Lithuania, Nobel Laureate in Literature Svetlana Alexievich, and other famous individuals. The authorities accused the Coordination Committee of jeopardising national security and has now launched a criminal investigation. Attorney General Konyuk noted that the establishment and operation of the Coordination Committee was to seize state power, and emphasized that the transfer of power to the Coordination Committee is unconstitutional. Committee lawyer Maxim Znak and organiser of Minsk factory strikes Sergei Dylevsky were questioned by the government on 21st August.

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya accepted an exclusive interview with the Britain Broadcasting Company (BBC), appealing to Belarusians to "stand till the end", and oppose the tyrannical rule of President Lukashenko. “If not now, we will be slaves”. She said that as long as her personal safety is ensured, she will return to the country. In a video speech earlier, she also called for Belarusians to be fearless and to escalate strike actions.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said earlier that the United State supports the international community in investigating the possibility of fraud in the Belarusian election, and will consider sanctions against Belarusian officials who participated in suppressing demonstrations. Russian President Putin said that any interference in the situation in Belarus or pressure on local leaders is unacceptable.

#Belarus #Election #Protests #Lukashenko #BBC #US #Pompeo #Russia #Putin

Source: Stand News #Aug22

Pompeo: Chinese Diplomats Banned from Visiting US Unis or Meeting US Officials Without Authorization

The US state secretary Mike Pompeo has issued a statement announcing that Chinese diplomats will need the US state department’s permission to visit American universities or meet with American officials. The statement said also that if the Chinese embassy or a Chinese consulate wishes to host a cultural event with more than 50 participants outside of its property, approval from the state department will also be needed. Pompeo added that the state department will take actions to ensure all the Chinese diplomatic missions’ official social media accounts are correctly identified as the accounts of the Chinese government.

Explaining the actions against the Chinese government’s social media accounts, the statement said that the US embassy is not given full access to Chinese social media and that Chinese citizens are prevented from using Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms.

At the beginning of the statement, Pompeo said that China has deviated significantly from diplomatic norms in making American diplomatic missions there immensely difficult. He also criticized the Chinese authorities’ vetting processes for being opaque and for preventing US diplomats from conducting normal operations and keeping in touch with Chinese citizens. He further pointed out that US diplomats often run into obstructions when organizing cultural events, formal meetings, and university visits.

The statement said in contrast, Chinese diplomats in the US have free access to American society. Pompeo notes that the new policy is a response to the limitations China has imposed on American diplomats over the years. It is hoped that the Chinese government will make improvements, he said. Should China lift the restrictions it has imposed on American diplomats, the statement added, the US is ready to respond in kind.

Source: Stand News #Sep03

#US #China #Pompeo #Embassy #Consulate #Diplomacy

https://bit.ly/2R49qf1

Pompeo Objected to the Sino-Vatican Agreement. Pope Francis Refused to Meet Pompeo

An Italian media reported the refusal of Pope Francis to meet with the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, claiming to fear of affecting the upcoming U.S. elections. This act may threaten to strain relations between the United States and the Vatican.

Pompeo's European trip started on Sunday with a stop at the Vatican, where he would reportedly meet the pope with an objection to the renewal of the Vatican's provisional agreement with China on the appointment of bishops (The 2018 Holy See-China Agreement), which expires next month. He wrote to Catholic journals earlier and posted a series of tweets arguing that the Vatican should not extend the agreement to avoid endangering its moral authority.

The Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported last week that the pope refused to meet with Pompeo because of the upcoming U.S. elections but that Pompeo would still meet with the Vatican's Secretary for Relations with States, Paul Gallagher. However, there might have another reason that Pompeo urged the Vatican to abandon the agreement with China to extend the appointment of bishops. A State Department official also said that Pompeo would use his visit to Europe to discuss various issues with the Vatican, including concerns about religious freedom in China, such as Beijing's oppression of religious minorities and the plight of Chinese Catholics. He was expected to mention related issues in the forum speech.

#US #Vatican #China #Pompeo #thePope #PopeFrancis #PaulGallagher #PompeoEuropeTrip #2018HolySeeChinaAgreement #VaticanChinaRelation

Source: Apple Daily #Sep28

https://hk.appledaily.com/international/20200928/UMPXV4G4IFG6VM2IIF3NEDYGTQ/

Pompeo Raises Concerns on China’s Economic Expansion into Italy

The US state secretary Mike Pompeo has raised his concerns on China’s plan to expand its economic influence into Italy during his visit to the Mediterranean country.

Pompeo met with the Italian foreign minister Luigi Di Maio and co-hosted a press conference. At the meeting, Pompeo raised his concerns with Di Maio on the CCP’s attempt to leverage their economic strength in Italy to their strategic advantages. He also urged the Italian government to consider carefully the national security issues involved in the technology provided by tech companies associated with the CCP and the personal privacy risks it poses to Italian citizens.

Di Maio said Italy understood the US’ view and knew their concerns over the construction of 5G infrastructure in Italy. He also said he was fully aware of the responsibilities involved in handling safety issues and promised that he would stay alert as 5G technology is phased in.

#US #Italy #China #5G #Pompeo #LuigiDiMaio #Technology #Diplomacy

Source: RTHK #Sep30

https://bit.ly/33DZxMd

Pompeo to Visit the Vatican, US Department of State Said this Visit would Discuss China-Vatican Agreement

The US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, will be visiting Europe next week, including the Vatican. He has publicly opposed the Holy See renewing the Chinese-Vatican Agreement. Officials revealed that Pompeo is meeting senior officials of the Holy See for further discussion during the visit.

The US Department of State has stated Pompeo would visit several European countries, including Greece, Italy, Vatican, and Croatia, between September 27 and October 2. During his stay in the Vatican, he will be participating in the International Forum on Religious Freedom on September 30. The Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and the Vatican Foreign Minister will also attend the event.

Last week, Pompeo publicly opposed the renewal of the Interim Agreement for the Appointment of Bishops last, which is due to be discussed between China and the Vatican next month. Pompeo stated that this agreement “would endanger the moral authority of the Holy See”. This agreement allows China to narrow a list of potential Popes, which is then handed to the Vatican for their decision to appoint or dismiss the potential candidates. Reports suggested that Pompeo’s remarks dissatisfied the senior officials of the Holy See.

#US #Vatican #China #Pompeo #HolySee #ReligiousFreedom #SinoVaticanAgreement #MoralAuthority

Source: Apple Daily #Sept26

https://hk.appledaily.com/international/20200926/IQPZSHZHTBDCHIQJH4434FLT5E/

US appointed Special Coordinator to enforce Tibetan policies Pompeo: China will pay for violations of human rights

The US Department of State has appointed Robert Destro, Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL), as the U.S. Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian responded to the appointment on Thursday, claiming the position was created by the US simply as a political stunt. He reiterated China’s stance in its objection and refusal to recognize this appointment.

Zhao Lijian accused the US of interfering with Chinese internal affairs, and undermining the stable development of Tibet. He urged the US to stop using Tibetan issues to meddle in Chinese affairs and emphasised China’s affirming stance in taking every measure to protect its own interest.

Secretary of State Michael Pompeo stated on the press conference that Destro will enforce the Tibetan Policy and Support Act, aiming to foster the exchange between China and Dalai-Lama or his representatives; protecting the unique religion, culture and language of Tibet; and ensuring the rights of the people of Tibet are respected. His duties also include leading the US to aid in the humanitarian needs of Tibetan refugees and the economic and environmental sustainability of Tibet.

According to Pompeo, the US will continuously monitor China for its oppression in Tibet, including its false promise of autonomy; deterioration of human rights issues; and restricting Tibetans’ religious freedom and cultural traditions. Destro will join forces with leaders of Tibet, international allies, and specialists to confront the aforementioned issues, while facilitating the Department of State to support Tibetans around the world and their unrelenting work in protecting human rights and religious freedom.

Source: Apple Daily #Oct15

#Tibet #US #HumanRights #CCPChina #TibetPolicyAndSupportAct #RobertDestro #Pompeo

https://hk.appledaily.com/international/20201015/WAJTPLANSNBGXCKPVDPFLDW3BM/

The US Listed Six more Chinese Media Companies as Foreign Missions,
Hu Xijin: China may Retaliate Against US Media in HK

The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Wednesday (October 21) that the State Department listed another six Chinese media companies in the US as foreign missions, estimated to make the US-China relations worsen. The Global Times editor Hu Xijin criticized that "the US has gone too far" and warned that "China must retaliate, and may implicate the US media companies in Hong Kong".

It was at least the fifth time to list Chinese organizations and media as foreign missions in six months. The Chinese media included the Yicai Global, Jiefang Daily, the Xinmin Evening News, Social Sciences in China Press, the Beijing Review, and the Economic Daily.

According to the Foreign Missions Act, foreign missions must obtain approval from the US for the list of declared personnel and their salary information, their assets owned or leased in the US, and the purchase or lease of any property.

#China #US #StateDepartment #ChineseCompanies #ChineseMedia #ForeignMissions #Pompeo

Source: Standnews #Oct22

https://bit.ly/2THDnTq

Reuters: Italy Blocks Telecommunication Group Fastweb from Signing 5G Agreement with Huawei

On Saturday (Oct 24), Reuters quoted two sources in reporting that during the cabinet meeting last Thursday, the Italian government barred the national telecommunication group Fastweb from signing an agreement with Huawei to supply equipment for its 5G core network. It was the first time that Italy vetoed a supply agreement over 5G core network with Huawei, which showed that Italy has taken a tougher stance against Huawei.

During the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s visit to Italy last month, he stated that China’s mobile network technology will threaten the national security of Italy. Huawei strongly refuted the allegations. Its Italian branch subsequently stated that they were willing to undergo a thorough review to prove that its technology did not pose any security risk.

The Italian government, however, used its special vetting powers on Thursday to bar the Italian branch of Fastweb, a subsidiary of Swisscom, from reaching a supply agreement with Huawei. The 5G core network is seen as the most sensitive and is for handling sensitive data. A source from the Italian government told Reuters that the government vetoed the agreement and asked Fastweb to use a different supplier. The source also stated that Fastweb had initially chose Huawei as the exclusive supplier of 5G network. Huawei and Fastweb made no response.

Source from: Apple Daily #Oct25

https://bit.ly/2HKRk0r

#Italy #China #Huawei #Fastweb #Pompeo

Pompeo Accused China Eradicating All Faith that Do Not Conform to the Communist Regime on International Religious Freedom Day

On the International Religious Freedom Day on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticised China, Iran, and North Korea as the most seriously prosecuted countries in the world for religious freedom. He added that the three countries increased the restriction upon its people, especially for Beijing trying to eradicate all faith that violates the communist regime.

Pompeo in a statement mentioned the International Religious Freedom Act taking into effect 22 years ago on October 27, reiterating the promise on the promotion and the defence on the religious rights of everyone in the world. Pompeo stated that the US government has long been respectful the freedom of lifestyle regardless of their religion, dating back to the visions of the founding fathers of the US. He emphasised, religious and human dignity issues are of the core of US diplomatic relations, for now, and in the future.

Pompeo named China, Iran, and North Korea as three of the worst countries in the world, in terms of religious rights. “These countries are tightening their restriction to suppress their people. Worse still, China is trying to erase every religion not compatible with the communist regime.” He said.

#ReligiousFreedom #CCP #Pompeo #China #HumanRight #NorthKorea #Iran #ReligionEradication

Source: Apple Daily #Oct28

https://hk.appledaily.com/international/20201028/Q6MEDFFHKBE6BJNDGMX6XLBC6I/