Pompeo hold talks in UK amid rising China tensions

LONDON (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held “candid″ discussions in London with one of America’s closest allies on Tuesday, amid growing tensions between the West and China.

Hong Kong and human rights figured high on the agenda as Pompeo met with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the U.K. leader’s office said.

The session came just hours after Britain suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong and blocked arms sales to the former British territory — angering Beijing — after China imposed a tough new national security law.

China’s ambassador to Britain, Liu Xiaoming, warned on Twitter that the U.K. should “bear the consequences of damaging bilateral relations.” He described the new measure as gross interference on the part of the U.K. in Chinese internal affairs.

Pompeo described his talks in London as being “constructive″ and “candid,'' and ranging "from 5G telecommunication to our negotiations for a U.S.-UK free trade agreement.''

Pompeo will also meet with senior members of Johnson’s Conservative Party who blocked plans to give Chinese telecommunications company Huawei a role in the U.K.’s new high-speed mobile phone network.

The U.S. has lobbied its allies to shun Huawei because it says the Chinese government could use the company’s technology to spy on Western nations. Huawei denies the allegations and argues that U.S. protectionism was behind the move.

Britain followed the United States, Australia and Canada in suspending extradition agreements with Hong Kong, which became a special administrative region of China after the U.K. returned control of the territory to Beijing in 1997.

Events in Hong Kong are particularly sensitive for Britain because China agreed to a “one country, two systems″ policy intended...