USA TODAY International Edition
Mattis turns up the heat on North Korea, China
Defense secretary blasts missile testing and artificial islands
U. S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis called out North Korea and China on Saturday and reaffirmed America’s ironclad commitment to NATO.
Mattis labeled North Korea and its efforts to attain intercontinental nuclear missiles a “clear and present danger.” The defense chief also blasted the Chinese for militarizing artificial islands in the South China Sea, a region that has been an increasing source of friction between the U. S., its allies and China.
Last month at a NATO meeting in Brussels, President Trump did not explicitly endorse Article 5 of the NATO treaty that asserts that an attack on one member nation is an attack on all. But Mattis implied Trump’s appearance at the NATO summit amounted to such an endorsement.
“The fact that President Trump went to Brussels, he speaks with word of actions, too,” he said. “He was there to show our statement that we are standing with the NATO allies 100%.”
Mattis made his remarks at an international security conference in Singapore, part of his swing through the region that includes a visit to Australia.
In his talk, Mattis said the United States has been encouraged by China’s willingness to pressure North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program.
But on Friday, China blocked tough new sanctions against North Korea that the United States pushed in the U. N. Security Council, the Associated Press reported. The Security Council, however, did vote unanimously to add 15 individuals and four entities linked to the North’s nuclear and missile programs to a U. N. sanctions blacklist.
Mattis tempered his hopes for Chinese help with North Korea with a rebuke of its ambitions in the South China Sea. China has increasingly asserted sovereignty over large parts of those waters. Its military has been constructing artificial islands in the resourcerich region atop reefs, paving landing strips and fortifying them. China is also jostling over islands that Japan claims in the East China Sea.
In addition, Chinese warplanes have harassed U. S. surveillance aircraft flying in international airspace.
“We oppose countries militarizing artificial islands and enforcing excessive maritime claims unsupported by international law,” he said. “We cannot and will not accept unilateral, coercive changes to the status quo.” Mattis also vowed that U. S. warplanes and ships would not be deterred from operating there. Known as “freedom of navigation” operations, the U. S. missions regularly evoke protests from the Chinese.
“We will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows and demonstrate resolve through operational presence in the South China Sea and beyond,” Mattis said. “Our operations throughout the region are an expression of our willingness to defend both our interests and the freedoms enshrined in international law.”
Rep. Mac Thornberry, a Republican from Texas and chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, told a news conference later that he believed Mattis effectively stressed the U. S. commitment to allies in the Asia- Pacific region.
“He was very clear, very strong,” said Thornberry, who led a bipartisan congressional delegation on an Asia tour and attended Saturday’s Singapore conference.
Mattis also noted that the U. S. and China will continue to work together and that military conflict can be avoided.
“While competition between the U. S. and China, the world’s two largest economies, is bound to occur, conflict is not inevitable,” he said. “Our two countries can and do cooperate for mutual benefit.”
Mattis saved his toughest talk for North Korea, which he called an “urgent military threat” to all nations. “President Trump has made clear that the era of strategic patience is over,” he said.