US Defense Secretary Makes Surprise Visit to China Amid Escalating Tensions
(Baonghean.vn) - US Secretary of Defense James Mattis visited China on June 26 to seek ways to promote defense cooperation amid increasing security tensions between the two countries. This is Mr. Mattis' first visit to China as the head of US Defense.
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| US Secretary of Defense James Mattis. Photo: AP |
Defense Secretary Mattis is expected to meet with his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe as well as senior officials of the host country to exchange views on security issues and military cooperation.
Amid escalating trade tensions between Washington and Beijing, pushing the two countries closer to a trade war, Defense Secretary Mattis said his talks during his visit to China would focus on military ties and North Korea's nuclear negotiations.
He said he would look for areas of common interest, including persuading North Korea to give up its nuclear arsenal.
According to Secretary Mattis, the last visit by a US Secretary of Defense to China took place four years ago and the two countries' militaries need to increase communication.
He believes that to resolve current issues between the US and China, the two sides need to hold a transparent strategic dialogue on how China views the development of relations with the US and vice versa, how the US views the development with China.
In a statement ahead of the visit, Chinese Defense Minister Ren Guoqiang said Washington needs to cooperate to make bilateral military ties an important stabilizing factor in the relationship between the two countries.
Beijing is the first stop for Defense Secretary Mattis on a four-day tour of Northeast Asia including China, South Korea and Japan./.