US will find every opportunity to work alongside China: Pompeo

Amid friction with Beijing as the coronavirus pandemic surges across the globe, Washington will continue to find "every opportunity to work alongside China", US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told journalists yesterday.

He also called for global transparency in reporting details of the pandemic in order to effectively develop a response.

"We have an important economic relationship (with China)," Mr Pompeo said. "But at the same time there are immense challenges with China, places where... reciprocity doesn't exist," he told The Straits Times in a conference call with mostly Asia-based media.

"We've seen that in trade, we've seen that with respect to how journalists are treated."

China is "a true strategic competitor for the United States, I don't expect that will change", he added.

"But we have learnt... some things about America's need to ensure that we have the right resources that we can maintain for moments just like this one as well."

There has been wide concern in America over the fact that most medical supplies are made in China, and with its own stockpiles inadequate and supply chains disrupted, the US faces a crisis with health workers struggling to cope with the case load and their own safety.

Mr Pompeo also underscored the need for freedom of information, referencing China's expulsion this month of American journalists working with The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

"When China made the decision to force Western press out of China, we thought that was a bad thing not only because we believe deeply... in freedom of information, but because that would reduce the capacity for all of us to understand what's happening not only in China but... throughout the region.

"We have to make sure the information is passed accurately and timely and in a way that is easily comprehensible and traceable so we can validate the information.

"This is a global pandemic, the solution will depend on people working together all across the world, and so efforts by governments to create either disinformation or misinformation about what's really taking place harm the capacity of the world to save lives."

Mr Pompeo, citing American aid to the Indo-Pacific region, added: "I talked to my Singaporean counterpart across the weekend. We continue to work alongside them to both learn from the things Singapore did successfully, as well as make sure we are providing assistance (to countries)... that need significant support to match the challenge ahead."