Companies must compete in open and transparent way: Pompeo

[February 12, 2019]  BRATISLAVA (Reuters) - The United States is fine with companies competing in global markets but it must be done in an open and transparent way, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday when asked on the presence of Chinese firms such as Huawei.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at a joint news conference with Slovakia's Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak in Bratislava, Slovakia, February 12, 2019. REUTERS/David W Cerny

"We're fine with companies competing but they've got to do it in a way that is fair, open and transparent... and they can't do so with anything other than any economic motives," Pompeo said at a news conference with Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak during a visit to Bratislava.

Pompeo is on a three-city visit to central Europe this week, part of what administration officials say is an effort to make up for a lack of U.S. engagement in the region that has opened the door to more Chinese and Russian influence.

(Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; writing by Jason Hovet; editing by Jason Neely)

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