US evaluating sanctions response to Turkey purchase of Russian system: Pompeo

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday the US was continuing to evaluate how it would respond to Turkey’s purchase of Russian S-400 missile defense systems.

"We continue to evaluate how to apply sanctions in order to achieve our end objective,” Pompeo said under questioning from Democratic Senator Bob Menendez at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing.

US-China relations

Pompeo also said the “tide is turning” in US dealings with China, saying there is international support for American policies, including the step-up of maritime maneuvers in the South China Sea and opposition to the use of Chinese technology in international 5G networks.

Reflecting rising tensions between Washington and Beijing, Pompeo took a tough line on China.

“We see the Chinese Communist Party for what it is: the center threat of our times,” Pompeo said.

In recent days, Washington and Beijing have each closed one of the other country’s consulates - the US closing China’s office in Houston and China retaliating by shuttering the US facility in Chengdu - and Pompeo recently announced an end to Hong Kong’s special trading status.

A member of security personnel stands guard in front of the former US Consulate General with the signage and plaques covered with gray material in Chengdu, Sichuan province, China, July 27, 2020. (Reuters)

“We closed the consulate in Houston because it was a den of spies,” Pompeo said.

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