America’s top defense official pushed back this week on the contention that US foreign policy seeks to contain China’s influence, despite growing recognition among many in Beijing and Washington that this is the case.
“And obviously, we’re not out to contain China. We’d have taken an altogether different stance had that been considered. It has not been considered,” Defense Secretary James Mattis said while on a flight to Vietnam. “But it’s out mutual responsibility to responsibly manage differences,” he added.
Mattis cited cooperation on the issue of North Korean denuclearization as evidence that the two countries were finding areas to work together constructively.
The defense chief reserved most of his comments on China for criticisms, echoing other voices from inside the Donald Trump administration as well as Congress.
“We remain highly concerned with continued militarization of features in the South China Sea. Plus, we look at the – what we consider to be almost predatory – in some cases certainly predatory economic behavior, where massive debt is piled on countries that fiscal analysis would say they are going to have difficulty, at best, repaying in the smaller countries,” he said.
Mattis added that the two countries must “find a way to productively manage our relationship. And the military relationship is to be a stabilizing force in the relations between the two countries.”
The bilateral military relationship was dealt a blow in late September when the People’s Liberation Army halted a military dialogue with the US after Washington slapped sanctions on PLA entities for purchasing arms from Russia.
The issue of containment has come up recently outside of the security sphere, with commentary from Chinese state media arguing that the Trump administration’s trade policy is in part an attempt to contain China’s rise.
I would rather have no ally than walk with a pretending Chinese
I would rather have no ally than walk with a pretending Chinese
Ed Martin China will be the nr1 economy in 10 to 12 years and kicks the USA out of the region in less than 15 years.
Better be friends with the Chinese.They don’t like to make wars like the USA.
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Ed Martin China will be the nr1 economy in 10 to 12 years and kicks the USA out of the region in less than 15 years.
Better be friends with the Chinese.They don’t like to make wars like the USA.
3
The relationship will improve IF China changes its behavior in the South China Sea and its economic polices by opening up its markets to other countries like they have opened up their markets for 35 years to China.
https://www.cfr.org/interactives/global-conflict-tracker#!/conflict/territorial-disputes-in-the-south-china-sea
https://www.csis.org/analysis/predatory-economics-and-china-challenge
The relationship will improve IF China changes its behavior in the South China Sea and its economic polices by opening up its markets to other countries like they have opened up their markets for 35 years to China.
https://www.cfr.org/interactives/global-conflict-tracker#!/conflict/territorial-disputes-in-the-south-china-sea
https://www.csis.org/analysis/predatory-economics-and-china-challenge
Actions speaks louder then words. That is the view unfortunately has crystalized in the mind of the Chinese. The US has not help given the speech by VP Pence in accusing China all sorts of misdeeds without evidence or facts.That is not how friends treat each other.
Actions speaks louder then words. That is the view unfortunately has crystalized in the mind of the Chinese. The US has not help given the speech by VP Pence in accusing China all sorts of misdeeds without evidence or facts.That is not how friends treat each other.
So we have a ring of 400+ military bases around China but we are not trying to contain China. LOL! Exceptional Bullshit!