China A Tougher Foe Than Soviet Union: Pompeo

China has hit back at comments by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that it's in some ways a more difficult foe to counter than the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

During a visit to the Czech Republic on Wednesday, Pompeo also called on countries around Europe to rally against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which he said leverages its economic might to exert its influence around the world.

"What's happening now isn't Cold War 2.0," Pompeo said in a speech to the Czech Senate. "The challenge of resisting the CCP threat is in some ways much more difficult."

"The CCP is already enmeshed in our economies, in our politics, in our societies in ways the Soviet Union never was."

Pompeo's visit to the Czech Republic, part of the Soviet bloc until the 1989 Velvet Revolution, marked the first stop on a swing through the region to discuss cyber and energy security.

He used the occasion to swipe at both Chinese and Russian influence and lauded officials in the central European nation of 10.7 million who took on Beijing over the past year.

He cited the Czech Republic's efforts to set security standards for the development of 5G telecommunications networks after a government watchdog warned about using equipment made by China's Huawei.

Pompeo and Prime Minister Andrej Babis signed a declaration on 5G security in May, but the country has not made an outright decision to ban Huawei technology. Its president, Milos Zeman, has been promoting closer ties with China.

The Chinese Embassy in the Czech Republic denounced Pompeo's remarks, saying they helped sow discord between China and other countries.

An embassy spokesperson said Washington's Cold War mentality "runs counter to the trend of the times" and urged the US to stop spreading fake news.

In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian accused Pompei of "repeating lies everyday".

Analysts said the Trump administration has stepped up its anti-China rhetoric to help boost President Donald Trump's re-election bid in November. (RTHK/Reuters)

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