Rumormongering, slandering to end up damaging US credibility: spokesperson

In response to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's recent remarks on Chinese enterprises, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Monday that Pompeo's words are full of lies and fallacies, and that rumormongering and slandering will only end up damaging U.S. credibility in the world.

Spokesperson Geng Shuang made the comments at a press briefing when asked to comment on reports that in an interview with Swiss media, Pompeo claimed once again that Chinese enterprises can not ensure information security and cooperation with them means cooperation with the Chinese government. He said privacy and data protection cannot be guaranteed as long as Huawei's communication technology is used.

Pompeo has for some time constantly referred to China wherever he went, but his remarks were full of lies and fallacies, Geng said, adding that the U.S. side failed to produce convincing evidence for its allegations about "security risks" of Huawei and other Chinese enterprises.

"As we have stated many times, it is both unethical and disgraceful for the U.S. to suppress Huawei, a Chinese private firm, by resorting to state power and state apparatus on trumped-up charges," Geng said.

"I'd like to remind Pompeo that his rhetoric doesn't seem to sell well," Geng said, adding Chinese firms have performed well in spite of the U.S. wanton suppression. "As I learned from Huawei's website, as of June 6, Huawei had concluded 46 commercial contracts on 5G cooperation with 30 countries, including a few allies and European countries the U.S. had 'strenuously' attempted to dissuade from such cooperation."

Geng said that as justice naturally inhabits people's heart, more and more people are showing an objective and unbiased stance on Chinese tech firms' participation in their countries' 5G construction, and an increasing number of countries are independently making choices in line with their own interests.

For Pompeo, "rumormongering, slandering and stirring up trouble everywhere will only end up damaging his own image and reputation, as well as undermining U.S. credibility in the world," Geng said.