Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a statement on Dec. 29 condemning the Chinese Communist Party over its decision to imprison Chinese citizen journalist Zhang Zhan. Zhang, a 37-year-old former lawyer, was often critical of the Chinese regime over its handling of the COVID-19 outbreak when she was reporting on the ground in Wuhan, the epicenter of China’s pandemic. She arrived in Wuhan in February, then suddenly vanished in May. A month later, Chinese authorities confirmed that she had been arrested. On Dec. 28, Zhang was sentenced to four years imprisonment after being convicted of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” an offense the Chinese regime often uses to persecute dissidents. “The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has shown once again it will do whatever it takes to silence those who question the Party’s official line, even regarding crucial public health information,” said Pompeo in a statement. He added: “Her hasty trial, …