Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross landed in China to talk about trade.
South China Sea weapon systems seen as threat to region
SINGAPORE — U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Saturday raised the prospect of additional American steps against China if its “militarization” of the South China Sea keeps apace. He said Beijing was intimidating and coercing others in the region by putting weapons systems on manmade islands.
President Donald Trump, backing the remarks by his Pentagon chief at an international security forum in Singapore, said on Twitter: “Very surprised that China would be doing this?”
Mattis said the Trump administration’s recent decision to disinvite China from a multinational naval exercise this summer was an “initial response” to Beijing’s island activity. Mattis called the U.S. action a “relatively small consequence. I believe there are much larger consequences in the future.”
Mattis said there was little doubt about Beijing’s intentions.
“Despite China’s claims to the contrary, the placement of these weapons systems is tied directly to military use for the purposes of intimidation and coercion,” Mattis said at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue.
China recently has deployed anti-ship missiles, surface-to-air missiles, electronic jammers and other equipment on the Spratly Islands and landed a bomber aircraft at Woody Island.
Mattis also touched on Taiwan, a longstanding dispute between the U.S. and China. He said Washington will continue to provide defense equipment and services to Taiwan and oppose any effort to alter the status quo. China claims the self-governing island as its own territory to be brought under its control by force, if necessary.
But he also said the U.S. welcomes cooperation with China “wherever possible,” and announced that he has accepted Beijing’s invitation to visit soon.
Mattis’ comments drew a pointed reaction from a Chinese official at the meeting.
Senior Col. Zhao Xiaozhuo said a U.S. move to send two warships into China’s “territorial waters” was a violation of law, and an “obvious provocation to China’s national security and territorial integrity.”
Two U.S. warships sailed close to the Paracel Islands on May 27 in the latest freedom of navigation operation designed to challenge Beijing’s claims. China protested the maneuver.