Chinese President Xi Jinping is trying to buy an “empire” through predatory loans to poor countries around the world, according to the top U.S. diplomat.

“When China shows up with bribes to senior leaders in countries in exchange for infrastructure projects that will harm the people of that nation, then this idea of a treasury-run empire build is something that I think would be bad for each of those countries and certainly presents risk to American interests,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told talk radio host Hugh Hewitt. “We intend to oppose them at every turn.”