방일 폼페이오 "너무 오래 中 위협에 노출…아태 전체가 맞서야"

Top U.S. diplomat Mike Pompeo arrived in Tokyo Tuesday.
Upon arrival, he stressed that it's important for Asian countries to cooperate in the face of the rising challenges posed by China.
Bae Eun-ji reports.
The U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Japan on Tuesday to seek Asian allies' support.
He called for stronger cooperation at a meeting with "The Quad"...which includes Japan, Australia, and India.
Pompeo warned against what he described as the Chinese Communist Party's "exploitation".
"As partners in this Quad, it is more critical now than ever that we collaborate to protect our people and partners from the CCP's exploitation, corruption, and coercion."
It is Pompeo's first trip to East Asia since July 2019 and this comes as ties between Washington and Beijing are at their worst in decades.
"When we met now last year the landscape was very different, We couldn't have imagined a pandemic that came from Wuhan, that crisis was made infinitely worse by the Chinese Communist Party's cover up."
The top U.S. diplomat added that a true security framework could be built with 'the Quad' working together.
Pompeo told the Japanese public broadcaster NHK that it was important to have a shared picture not just within the four countries, but also with all countries in Southeast Asia,... so that the whole region can collaborate to fight against China's growing regional influence.
Pompeo’s visit was originally scheduled to include trips to South Korea and Mongolia but this was cut short after the U.S. President Donald Trump was diagnosed with COVID-19.
Bae Eun-ji, Arirang News.