Pompeo lauds Israel over coronavirus on visit, raps China
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo took an apparent swipe at China on Wednesday,
On a one-day visit to Israel, which he lauded as an ally in the campaign against the new coronavirus.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO SAYING:
"You're a great partner, you share information, unlike some other countries, that try to obfuscate and hide that information, we'll talk about that country too."
Pompeo shared the podium with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
He didn't name China, or give examples of Israel's cooperation.
U.S. President Donald Trump and his senior officials have engaged in a war of words with China, where the new coronavirus first emerged.
Accusing it of failing to inform the world fast enough about the dangers and muzzling those who raised the alarm. Beijing denies those charges.
Israel moved aggressively and early against the pandemic, shutting its borders in mid-March.
Measures that Netanyahu said had been discussed with the White House.
The Palestinians are boycotting the Trump administration over its pro-Israel stance,
but Pompeo said he would discuss Washington's peace plan with Netanyahu during the visit.
