Don’t bolster China, an ‘Orwellian Surveillance state’, with advanced tech, Secretary of State Pompeo warns US tech firms

Washington/Beijing: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a stern warning to the US technology companies not to supply technology to China that empowers a truly ‘Orwellian Surveillance state’, sacrificing the US principles’. Pompeo’s advice came just as the United States and China were in the process of signing an agreement to end the trade war, and thus assumes much significance.

A few months ago, Secretary of State Pompeo had severely criticised the ruling Chinese Communist Party. While firing the salvo of criticism, he had hinted at exposing information on the Chinese Communist party’s policies and its use of state-run agencies in the next few months. Pompeo presented his stand in front of the companies in Silicon Valley, the technology hub of the United States.

Pompeo’s reference to the ‘Orwellian Surveillance’ state, while exposing the Chinese regime before the tech companies, becomes essential. The text is linked to George Orwell’s decades-old book – ‘1984’. The book was written by renowned British Author George Orwell which was published in 1949. It describes a dystopian story that would transpire in 1984.

The dystopian novel bears the theme that most of the world’s population was faced with war, and an autarchic dictatorial regime was controlling the population through misinformation and surveillance. The concepts of ‘Big Brother’ and ‘2+2=5’ from the novel, deemed as a classic, had become popular around the world.

US Secretary of State Pompeo clarified that the Trump administration does not want the US companies to exit China. Furthermore, Pompeo stressed that President Trump’s policy was instead that the US companies should compete on the same level and grow their businesses in China which would, in turn, increase employment opportunities in the United States. Nevertheless, while the companies do so, they need to ensure the US-rival China does not get more powerful.

Pompeo reprimanded the US companies and said, ‘We need to make sure that our companies don’t do deals that strengthen a competitor’s military or tighten the regime’s grip of repression in parts of that country. We need to make sure American principles aren’t sacrificed for prosperity.’ Moreover, the US companies should take utmost care not to compromise the US security, while entering into any transaction with China, Pompeo said as he reminded the US companies of the laws in China.

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