Former US Secretary of State Pompeo says China’s Xi is a bigger threat than Putin
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Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has told Sky News he believes China’s President Xi is a bigger threat to the world than Vladimir Putin.
Speaking on Beth Rigby Interviews, Mr Pompeo said President Xi is intent on world dominance.
“He wants to own you,” the US politician warned.
“He wants hegemonic intent across the world with his Marxist-Leninist vision, and Chinese economic and political dominance in every corner of the world.
“That is his vicious objective. We have an obligation to the next generation to push back against it.”
Asked if the Chinese leader is more dangerous than his Russian counterpart – who invaded Ukraine almost a year ago today – Mr Pompeo replied: “Absolutely. [It’s] Not even close.
“Vladimir Putin has a very capable nuclear program, and an economy that is dependent on a single industry. And if we produce energy in America, that industry would be a lot less valuable to him,” he said.
“Xi Jinping is a different creature.
“The globe is dependent on him economically, he has 1.4 billion people.
“He has an economy that rivals the size of that of the United States of America, a highly capable space and military and cyber program. And that’s the capabilities. And we have now also seen his intention.”
Mr Pompeo also said that while Mr Putin believes in greater Russia “he has no illusions about his capacity to dominate the world”.
Whereas he said Xi Jinping “believes this is not folderol. He believes he’s going to dominate the world.
“Those are two fundamentally different risks for our way of life in Europe, in the United States, in Asia, in the Middle East, everywhere.”
Mr Pompeo served as secretary of state under Donald Trump between 2018 and 2021 and was the director of the CIA before that.
