Pompeo finds Jinping 'most unpleasant'

In his book which has created a stir, former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says he personally thought Xi was 'dour'. According to him, while Putin could be 'funny & mirthful', even when being 'evil', the Chinese leader was 'not so serious as dead-eyed'.

New Delhi, Feb 01: Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has made news quite recently for his book titled "Never Give an Inch: Fighting for the America I Love". Although the book has received mixed reviews from the readers around the world, it has gained a lot of attention for various reasons. The book has several critical anecdotes that could raise temperature in the global diplomacy world.

In the book, Pompeo has described Chinese President Xi Jinping as the "most unpleasant" person. He admits that the Chinese leader in all his meetings with global leaders around the world was among the most unpleasant ones. Without holding any inhibitions, he writes that he found the Chinese leader to be "dour" and a "quintessential Communist apparatchik."

'Xi was dour'

Pompeo in his book propagates that he personally thought Xi was dour. According to him, while Putin could be funny and mirthful, even while being evil, the Chinese leader was not so serious as dead-eyed. Describing his impression about the Chinese dictator, he wrote that he never once saw an unforced smile on him.

A portion of Pompeo's book reads that the American diplomat found the Chinese leader a quintessential Communist apparatchik, that is to say that he was heavy in the abstract. Pompeo further pontificates that Xi was light on the issues under discussion and, according to him, he was always eager to impose his views.

Pompeo further describes Xi Jinping as some Soviet Communist when he writes that he fitted the psychological profile of an East German or Soviet Communist who he had come to know during his Army days. To Pompeo, the Chinese leader appears to be someone who spoke in "hollow tones" and was always searching for words.

According to the book, Pompeo had an impression that Xi Jinping was using phrases, and archaic Chinese proverbs of "questionable clarity" during conversations. This according to the book was a trick from the Chinese leader to play with gullible American leaders. These remarks have not surprised anyone as he was known for his tough stance on China.

Not only the book gives an insight to what Mike Pompeo was thinking during his tenure as the American official engaging with China but also explains what made him act in the specific manner. Needless to say, it was Pompeo who had helped the Trump Administration craft the America First policy and sideline China to some extent.