Despite the fact that the US is still "concerned" over China's military policies and religious freedom in the country, Washington does not seek a new "Cold War" with Beijing, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters at a news conference following diplomatic talks with Chinese officials.
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"The United States is not pursuing a Cold War or containment policy with China. Rather, we want to ensure that China act responsibly and fairly in support of security and prosperity in each of our two countries," Pompeo said.
"We hope to work with the Chinese government and Chinese energy companies in this regard," Pompeo said. "Bringing Iran's oil export revenues to zero is a critical component of this campaign and we discussed this today."
Chinese-US relations deteriorated in late May when US President Donald Trump announced that $50 billion worth of Chinese goods would be subject to 25 percent tariffs in a bid to fix the US trade deficit with China.
Since then, the two countries have exchanged several rounds of trade duties, with negotiations proving to be unsuccessful.
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Mike Pompeo also noted that significant concerns over China's policy in the South China Sea remain.
"I was clear… that we have continued concerns about China's activities and militarization in the South China Sea. We pressed China to live up to its past commitments in this area," Pompeo told to the press.
At the same time, Pompeo reaffirmed journalists that the US honors the one-China policy.