US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Photo: VCG

As US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is about to end his tenure amid a "real-life House of Cards" transition in the White House, the man widely described the "worst secretary of state in history" continued his crazy efforts to smear China, in an attempt to put a sheen on his "personal diplomatic legacy," regardless of the tense US-China relations and other wrecked global ties he leaves trailing in his wake.  

Infographic:GT

 
To give Pompeo the final send-off from the diplomatic stage he deserves, the Global Times presents a handy review of some of the choice remarks given by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the international community and global media on "Mr Liar" over the years. 

"Legacy? If there is any 'legacy' that Pompeo leaves, then it will be a poisonous one." 

Zhao Lijian, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, January 11: 

"Perhaps the greatest legacy [that Pompeo leaves] is 'lying diplomacy,' which he has masterminded and practiced. Pompeo also creates and spreads political viruses and stages a come-back of McCarthyism." 

"He will be convicted by history."

Hua Chunying, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, January 8:

"For his own benefit, Pompeo unscrupulously suppressed China, and put on stage his 'final madness' as his term is coming to an end, and frantically sabotaged bilateral relations. His actions will only put him on the wrong side of history and at odds with the friendly sentiment cherished by the Chinese and American peoples. He will be convicted by history."

"Shouldn't Mr. Pompeo consider applying some sanctions on himself?"

Hua Chunying, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, January 7:

"There is a post circulating on Chinese social media that jests 'If the United States saw what the United States is doing in the United States, the United States would invade the United States to liberate the United States from the tyranny of the United States.' In that vein, shouldn't Mr Pompeo consider applying some sanctions on himself?"  

"Unfortunately, he was not born into the right era"

Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, October 28, 2020: 

"Unfortunately for Pompeo, he was not born into the right era. Today, the trend for peace, development and win-win cooperation is invincible. Pompeo's malign lies and smears can neither erase the fact that China is committed to peaceful development and win-win cooperation nor stop the momentum of the Chinese people's pursuit of national rejuvenation."

"Building out a "global coalition" against China?  He won't see that day,"

Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, September 29, 2020:

"When Pompeo claimed to 'build out a global coalition' against China, he was only talking nonsense. He won't see that day. And his successors won't see that day either, because that day will never, ever come." 

"Can he sleep soundly at night after repeating shameless lies against China like a feverish man day after day?"

Zhao Lijian, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, August 13, 2020: 

"Perhaps some of you [reporters] can do me a favor and ask if he can sleep soundly at night after repeating shameless lies against China like a feverish man day after day? Pompeo and his like attempt to hijack the international community onto their anti-communism and anti-China chariot and use other countries as their pawns. However, the world can see through this and won't fall for it."

"It's nothing but a pipe dream."

Zhao Lijian, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, July 1, 2020: 

 "Today the CPC is thriving with vigor, but it must be a very bitter day for Mr Pompeo and his like. They attempt to sever the close bond between the CPC and the Chinese people by lying and smearing. It's nothing but a pipe dream."

"There is not enough space in this newspaper to chronicle all of Pompeo's falsehoods."

the Washington Post, January 5: 

"Pompeo's Twitter thread - now dozens of entries long - began on Jan 1 with the kind of bald-faced lie you would have expected from Big Brother… There is not enough space in this newspaper to chronicle all of Pompeo's falsehoods."

"Way to go, tough guys."

Russian foreign ministry, January 4 

The foreign ministry responded to Pompeo's braggadocio in crowing about the efforts of the Trump administration to challenge Russia in a tweet saying "Way to go, tough guys" with a painting titled "Napoleon's Retreat from Russia." 

"Pompeo's abrasive speech [against China]… appears likely to fail, like so many of the president's foreign-policy gambits." 

The New Yorker, July 29, 2020: 

"Pompeo's abrasive speech [against China] may have played to Trump's base, but it undermined long-term American interests and appears likely to fail, like so many of the President's foreign-policy gambits.

"Secretary of Crimes" 

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, September 26, 2020

Rouhani referred to Pompeo as "a gentleman who presents himself as the Minister of Foreign Affairs but who is [in reality] the Minister of Crimes." 

"Disastrous career with more warmongering lies" 

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted on January 13: 

"From designating Cuba to fictitious Iran 'declassifications' and AQ (Al Qaeda) claims, Mr 'we lie, cheat, steal' is pathetically ending his disastrous career with more warmongering lies." 

"Landmines… setting slow-burning fires… That's what Pompeo has been doing."

The Bangkok Post, January 17, 2021

"When defeated armies are retreating, they always lay mines behind them if they have time. The mines slow pursuit, they may inflict casualties on the victors, and they give the losers something purposeful to do amid panic and despair. That's what Mike Pompeo has been doing just before time is called on his ideologically driven term as United States Secretary of State.

Come to think of it, 'landmines' is the wrong image here, because landmines are hidden. Mr Pompeo is setting slow-burning fires in plain sight, which is why a European foreign minister recently described him as a 'political pyromaniac' - and this is his 'scorched earth' policy." 

"Diehard toxin of the US diplomacy"

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho, August 23, 2019: 

"He is truly impudent enough to utter such thoughtless words which only leave us disappointed and skeptical as to whether we can solve any problem with such a guy." 

"Do not ever use Simpsons material in your Twitter."

Bill Oakley, former writer of The Simpsons, tweeted on February 5, 2020: 

"Mr Secretary of State please do not ever ever ever use Simpsons material in your Twitter or watch the show or refer to it in any way."

"Glad he'll be gone tomorrow."

Keith Boykin, an American author, tweeted on January 19  

"Multiculturalism is not an 'ism' like racism. It's who we are. E Pluribus Unum ('out of many, one') appears on the Great Seal of the United States. Glad he'll be gone tomorrow." 

In conclusion, let us send Pompeo a simple message: Farewell to Pompeo! Hope we will never see you again.