Pompeo declares Reliance Jio 'clean' for spurning Huawei telecom gear

Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani had told US President Donald Trump during his February visit to India that Jio was the only network in the world to not have a single Chinese component.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has declared Reliance Jio a "clean" network for not using the Chinese company Huawei's equipment, keeping it safe from Beijing's intelligence intrusions.

Listing Jio among the "world's leading" telecom operators, Pompeo said on Wednesday that it was one of the "Clean Telcos" for spurning Huawei, which he called a part of the "Chinese Communist Party (CCP) infrastructure."

Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani had told US President Donald Trump during his February visit to India that Jio was the only network in the world to not have a single Chinese component.

Jio is reportedly trying the 'swadeshi' route for 5G and has applied to the Department of Telecommunications for permission to carry out lab tests for the technology without third-party participation.

Facebook announced a $5.7 billion investment in Jio in April.

Pompeo said that by Jio along with some other Canadian, British and French telecoms was "disconnecting from the Chinese Communist Party infrastructure" by not using Huawei equipment.

"They are rejecting doing business with tools of the CCP surveillance state, companies like Huawei," he added while speaking to the media before the release of the State Department's annual terrorism report.

The US campaign against the Chinese telecom equipment manufacturer over fears its gear can be used for espionage has intensified as the company begins its push into the next-generation 5G networks.

Indian-American soil scientist Rattan Lal wins 2020 World Food Prize

US Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo, praised Lal, saying he is helping nearly 500 million small farmers through improved management, less soil degradation, and recycling of nutrients.

Renowned Indian-American soil scientist Dr Rattan Lal has been awarded the 2020 World Food Prize for developing and mainstreaming a soil-centric approach to increase food production that conserves natural resources and mitigates climate change.

US Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo, has praised Lal, saying he is helping nearly 500 million small farmers through improved management, less soil degradation, and recycling of nutrients.

Lal was announced as the 2020 World Food Prize Laureate on Thursday. He received the $250,000 award for promoting soils for sustainable development.

The 2020 Laureate Announcement Ceremony featured pre-recorded remarks from Pompeo and US Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue with World Food Prize Foundation President Barbara Stinson announcing the name of the Laureate, the World Food Priz foundation said in a statement.

"The world's population continues to grow, and we need to use the resources we have more productively and efficiently to make sure everyone has enough food on their table," said Secretary Pompeo.

"Dr. Lal's research in soil science shows that the solution to this problem is right under our feet. He's helping the earth's estimated 500 million small farmers be faithful stewards of their land through improved management, less soil degradation, and the recycling of nutrients. The billions of people who depend on these farms stand to benefit greatly from his work," he said.

Trump memo asks US exchanges to protect investors from Chinese firms

"For decades, Chinese companies have availed themselves of the benefits of US financial markets, and capital raised in the US has helped fuel China's rapid economic growth," Trump said.

President Donald Trump on Thursday said that it is wrong and dangerous for China to benefit from US capital markets without complying with critical protections that investors rightfully deserve. He issued a memorandum to protect American investors from Chinese companies.

"For decades, Chinese companies have availed themselves of the benefits of US financial markets, and capital raised in the US has helped fuel China's rapid economic growth," Trump said.

The memorandum was issued to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other members of the top national security leadership.

"While China reaps advantages from US markets, the Chinese government has consistently prevented Chinese companies and companies with significant operations in China from abiding by the investor protections that apply to all companies listing on US stock exchanges," Trump alleged.

"China's actions to thwart our transparency laws raise significant risks for investors. The time has come to take firm action in an orderly fashion to put an end to the practice that has tacitly permitted companies with significant Chinese operations to flout protections United States law requires for investors in United States markets," Trump said.

Meanwhile, Mike Pompeo plans to warn American investors against 'fraudulent' accounting practices of China-based companies and suggest the Nasdaq's recent decision to tighten listing rules for such players should be a model for all other exchanges around the world.

China must use diplomacy to settle border issues with India: US House panel

We see increasing forces of China moved up to the north of India on the Line of Actual Control there on the Indian border, says US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

China has moved up its forces along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said, asserting that authoritarian regimes take these kinds of actions.

Several areas along the LAC in Ladakh and North Sikkim have witnessed major military build-up by both the Indian and Chinese armies recently, in a clear signal of escalating tension and hardening of respective positions by the two sides even two weeks after they were engaged in two separate face-offs.

"We see even today increasing forces of China moved up to the north of India on the Line of Actual Control there on the Indian border," Pompeo told Marc Thiessen and Danielle Pletka of AEI's 'What The Hell Is Going On' Podcast.

Meanwhile, US House Committee on Foreign Affairs has strongly urged China to use diplomacy and existing mechanisms to resolve its border issues with India.

"I am extremely concerned by the ongoing Chinese aggression along the Line of Actual Control on the India-China border. China is demonstrating once again that it is willing to bully its neighbours rather than resolve conflicts according to international law," Eliot L. Engel, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

"Countries must all abide by the same set of rules so that we don't live in a world where "might makes right." I strongly urge China to respect norms and use diplomacy and existing mechanisms to resolve its border questions with India," Engel added.