Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned America�s governors on Saturday to be wary of China, which he said was targeting individual U.S. states in a strategic effort to expand its economic and political influence.

He said a Chinese government-backed think tank has assessed all 50 governors on their attitude toward China and assigned each one a label: �friendly, hard-line or ambiguous.�

�So here�s the lesson. The lesson is the competition with China is not just a federal issue,� Pompeo said in addressing the National Governors Association meeting in Washington.

�It�s happening in your states with consequences for our foreign policy, for the citizens who reside in your states and indeed for each of you,� he said.

Pompeo urged the governors to be wary of Chinese investment and influence, including through contacts with Chinese diplomats, students and organizations.

He had conveyed similar warnings on a recent five-nation tour of Europe and Central Asia. During a stop in London, he declared the Chinese Communist Party �the central threat of our times.�

(AP)