China slams Pompeo for ‘arrogance’ during South America trip

China’s embassy to Suriname on Friday accused U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo of “smearing” Beijing, after Washington’s top diplomat critiqued Chinese companies’ business practices during the first stop on a four-country South America tour.

In a joint appearance with newly elected Surinamese President Chan Santokhi on Thursday, Pompeo contrasted “the quality of the products and services of American private companies” with Chinese companies, which he said often do not compete on a “fair and equitable basis.”

“We’ve watched the Chinese Communist Party invest in countries, and it all seems great at the front end and then it all comes falling down when the political costs connected to that becomes clear,” Pompeo said.