Pompeo warns Italy PM of risks involved in doing business with China

US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo on Wednesday warned Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte the risks associated with doing business with China.

During talks with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in Rome, Pompeo highlighted the substantial business and investment ties between the United States and Italy and noted the risks associated with doing business with the People's Republic of China (PRC), according to an official statement issued by the State Department.

Urging Italy to work together against the security threats, Pompeo said that China must be held responsible for the COVID-19 crisis.

He said that the United States advocates for a vibrant digital economy worldwide that benefits from the promise of 5G networks, adding that countries must take action now to safeguard their emerging 5G networks against untrusted suppliers because the "stakes could not be higher".

The US Secretary of State urged the Italian government to consider the possible threats that businesses with China might have in the future.

"The United States urges the Italian government to consider the threats to its national security and the security and privacy of its citizens posed by giving compes beholden to the Chinese Communist Party access to data transmissions across Italian networks," he said.

"The US Embassy to the Holy See symposium, "Advancing and Defending International Religious Freedom through Diplomacy," is an opportunity to highlight the US government support for persecuted religious minorities, particularly in China and the Middle East," he added.

The symposium will also emphasise many ways the United States collaborates with the Holy See and faith-based orgsations, and it will reaffirm US commitment to promoting and defending religious freedom everywhere, Pompeo said.

( With inputs from ANI )