(Dan Tri) – Former US Secretary of Defense James Mattis once accused China of violating its commitment not to militarize the East Sea and warned of Beijing’s ambitions in the region.
Former US Secretary of Defense James Mattis (left) welcomed his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe at the Pentagon in November 2018.
In a book called `Rage`, a collection of interviews with US officials, veteran journalist Bob Woodward recorded a private conversation between the former US Secretary of Defense.
Previously in June, Secretary Mattis said that the US and Chinese militaries need to behave like forces that maintain stability in the context of a `heating up` political environment.
As revealed by Bob Woodward, during his visit to the US in 2018, Secretary Mattis told Minister Wei that China should follow the rules and that the US is not afraid of confrontation if necessary.
“No country should dominate the Pacific,” Mr. Mattis said.
The Chinese Defense Minister is said to have told the US Secretary of Defense that he was very disappointed when China was not invited to attend the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) military exercises held every two years.
The US Secretary of Defense responded that China had violated its 2015 commitment not to militarize the Spratly Islands and that Beijing’s militarization of the islands violated the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
When Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the US in 2015, he said that both Beijing and Washington shared many interests in the South China Sea and that China’s construction activities in the Spratly Islands did not target
However, China has in fact illegally built artificial islands in the East Sea, establishing missile systems and runways for fighters and bombers in Truong Sa.
According to Bob Woodward’s book, Secretary Mattis told his Chinese counterpart: “We want you to follow the rules.
“If you want to fight, I will fight.
Also according to journalist Woodward, Mr. Mattis wanted Mr. Wei to understand that a war would be `extremely bad` for China because its soldiers have not participated in any major conflicts in decades.
Defense Secretary James Mattis announced his resignation on December 20 after being unable to convince President Trump to reconsider his decision to withdraw US troops from Syria.
