Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the Chinese Communist Party is engaged in aggressive influence and intelligence operations inside the US, targeting federal, state and local governments, reported local media.
Recalling his 1000 days as Secretary of State under former President Donald Trump, he declassified an intelligence report that revealed how Beijing was targeting state governors in a bid to influence their policies in favour of China, reported Washington Times.
Pompeo recalled how he warned a group of some 40 US governors in February 2020 that China was targeting state and local governments for both influence and money.
"When I say it's not a long way off, it means it is here inside the United States of America today," he said in a speech on Saturday night to an audience of mostly Chinese-Americans in Livermore, California, near San Francisco.
The former secretary said the governors at the meeting were focused more on state issues and less interested in foreign policy until informed that "the Chinese Communist Party wants you", according to Washington Times.
( With inputs from ANI )
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