Kubra Chohan
13 March 2019•Update: 13 March 2019
HOUSTON, United States
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo dubbed China’s energy transactions “death traps” on Tuesday.
During his keynote speech on the second day of IHS CERAWeek 2019 -- one of the world's most renowned energy conferences -- in Houston, Texas, Pompeo said some nations are using their energy for “malign ends”.
He called on the global oil companies to create a partnership with Trump administration to punish “bad actors” in the industry, such as China.
“We want transparent transactions, not death traps. We explore responsibly,” Pompeo stressed.
The U.S.’ top diplomat referred to China’s “illegal island-building” in the South China Sea, emphasizing that international water waste “isn’t simply a national security matter”.
“China prevents ASEAN members from accessing to more than 2.5 trillion recoverable energy recourses,” he said.
On the other hand, the U.S. promotes energy security for Southeast Asian nations, he asserted.
He also said the Bashar al Assad regime covets the oil fields to the east of the Euphrates River in Syria.
“He [Assad] wants those resources we want to continue to impoverish the people of Syria and use those resources for himself and the cronies who are around him,” he said.
Pompeo also criticized Iran for its energy exports to use its influence in the Middle East, particularly on Iraq, saying that “there could not have been more of about how America uses energy resources than how the leaders of the Islamic government of Iran use .”
“We have every intention of driving Iranian oil exports to zero just as quickly as we can,” he added.
