China calls top US diplomat's comments in Israel 'absurd'
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said China was not being forthcoming about the coronavirus and critiqued Israel-China ties in Jerusalem this week.
China criticized US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo today, saying the US top diplomat’s comments on the coronavirus and China-Israel relations while in Israel this week were “absurd.”
Pompeo met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Wednesday. Pompeo’s visit sought to forge ties with Israel's incoming unity government between Netanyahu and his former rival Benny Gantz. The visit also came amid US concern that a Chinese company will win the rights to build the largest water desalination plant in the world off the coast of Israel.
In Wednesday’s joint press conference, Netanyahu and Pompeo surprisingly steered clear of Israel’s plans to annex parts of the Palestinian territory the West Bank, which they were expected to address.
Pompeo did talk about China, however, saying to Netanyahu, “You’re a great partner, you share information, unlike other countries that obfuscate and try to hide that information — and we’ll talk about that country too.”
