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China rejects Mike Pompeo’s challenge to its ‘near-Arctic nation’ claim
- US secretary of state on Monday tweeted that Beijing’s declaration was a ‘communist fiction’
- Foreign ministry hits back by contrasting Chinese involvement in the region with American activities in the South China Sea
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Beijing has rejected US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s attack on its claim to be a “near-Arctic state”, as the two countries continue to spar over China’s role in the region.
Pompeo tweeted on Monday that it was a “communist fiction” that China was a near-Arctic nation, posting a map showing that the country was 900 miles (1,450km) from the Arctic Circle.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying dismissed the comments on Tuesday, contrasting China’s involvement in the Arctic with US activities in the South China Sea.
“Mr Pompeo is not bad at calculating distance. Since he has figured out that China is 900 miles from the Arctic Circle, has he ever measured the distance between the continental United States and the South China Sea?” she said.
“The South China Sea is more than 8,300 miles away from the continental United States, or 5,800 miles away from Hawaii. Despite such distance, the US side has repeatedly sent warships and aircraft to the South China Sea for all kinds of military drills and close-in reconnaissance, without a break all year round.”
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