{"id":58486,"date":"2018-06-24T17:42:22","date_gmt":"2018-06-24T17:42:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/06\/24\/pentagon-chief-to-visit-china-amid-south-china-sea-tensions\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T11:08:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T11:08:36","slug":"pentagon-chief-to-visit-china-amid-south-china-sea-tensions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/flashpoints\/2018\/06\/24\/pentagon-chief-to-visit-china-amid-south-china-sea-tensions\/","title":{"rendered":"Pentagon chief to visit China amid South China Sea tensions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">BEIJING \u2014 U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2018\/06\/03\/at-security-forum-mattis-warns-china-over-militarization-of-south-china-sea\/\" title=\"\" target=\"_blank\" data-original-title=\"\" aria-describedby=\"popover617535\">accused China of \u201cintimidation and coercion\u201d<\/a> in the South China Sea, visits Beijing this week as the countries increasingly spar over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2018\/03\/26\/give-taiwan-the-f-35-to-deter-china-top-senators-tell-trump\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">U.S. arms sales to Taiwan<\/a> and Beijing\u2019s expanding military presence overseas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mattis will be the first defense secretary in President Donald Trump\u2019s administration to visit China. His trip highlights the need for the U.S. and its chief rival in East Asia to engage each other despite increasingly stark differences and mutual suspicion.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/asia-pacific\/2018\/06\/03\/mattis-accuses-china-of-acts-of-intimidation-and-coersion\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"196\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/plaaf_su35_h6k.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Mattis accuses China of acts of \u2018intimidation and coersion\u2019<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">China&#039;s actions in the South China Sea also spurred the decision to uninvite the country from participation in a multinational naval exercise.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mattis\u2019 mission comes at a difficult time as the Trump administration is set to start taxing $34 billion in Chinese goods in two weeks while Beijing has vowed to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/congress\/2018\/06\/13\/corker-erupts-at-gop-leaders-for-derailing-vote-on-trump-tariffs\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">retaliate with its own tariffs on U.S. products<\/a>. The U.S. appears likely to rely on China for help getting North Korea to deliver on denuclearization promises made at this month\u2019s summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A look at some of the thorny issues:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SOUTH CHINA SEA SPARRING<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"478\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18174251414360.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-41204\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18174251414360.jpg.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18174251414360.jpg.jpg?resize=300,140 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18174251414360.jpg.jpg?resize=768,359 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In this April 12, 2018, file photo released by China&#8217;s Xinhua News Agency, the Liaoning aircraft carrier is accompanied by navy frigates and submarines conducting an exercises in the South China Sea. (Li Gang\/Xinhua via AP, File)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The South China Sea will likely be near the top of the agenda in discussions between Mattis and Chinese officials, with the U.S. issuing threats against Beijing for its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2018\/05\/20\/us-criticizes-chinas-militarization-of-disputed-south-china-sea\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">continued militarization of the waters<\/a>. \u201cThere are consequences that will continue to come home to roost, so to speak, with China if they don\u2019t find a way to work more collaboratively with all of the nations who have interests,\u201d Mattis said earlier this month. He said China\u2019s weapons were placed in the region for \u201cintimidation and coercion.\u201d The Pentagon last month withdrew its invitation for China to participate in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2018\/05\/23\/china-was-just-uninvited-from-rimpac-heres-why\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">large-scale multinational naval exercise<\/a> in what it called \u201can initial response\u201d to the militarization of the South China Sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">KOREAN PENINSULA<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"721\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18174244816140.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-96835\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18174244816140.jpg.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18174244816140.jpg.jpg?resize=300,211 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18174244816140.jpg.jpg?resize=768,541 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In this June 19, 2018, file photo released by China&#8217;s Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, poses with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for a photo during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (Ju Peng\/Xinhua via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">China was seen as taking home a major win when Trump announced at the summit with Kim that the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-air-force\/2018\/06\/18\/south-korea-us-cancel-ulchi-freedom-guardian-exercise-for-2018\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">U.S. would suspend joint U.S.-South Korean war games<\/a> that North Korea and China have long opposed. Both Mattis and South Korea were seen as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2018\/06\/13\/trump-tweet-adds-more-confusion-to-issue-of-pacific-military-exercises\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">caught off-guard<\/a> by the decision. U.S. and South Korean officials now see the pledge as helping advance nuclear negotiations with North Korea. China welcomed the move, and Kim met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing last week, though no new measures toward denuclearization have been announced. Trump said last week that \u201ctotal denuclearization\u201d has \u201calready started taking place.\u201d Mattis, however, was asked whether he had seen any sign that North Korea had begun <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2018\/06\/22\/north-korea-pledges-to-destroy-missile-test-engine-site\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">steps toward denuclearization<\/a> and replied: \u201cI\u2019m not aware of any. Obviously, we\u2019re at the very front end of the process.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">TANGLING OVER TAIWAN<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"625\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18174250257162.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-96836\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18174250257162.jpg.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18174250257162.jpg.jpg?resize=300,183 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18174250257162.jpg.jpg?resize=768,469 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In this April 18, 2018, file photo released by China&#8217;s Xinhua News Agency, an armed Chinese helicopter assaults targets with rocket projectiles in a live-fire exercise off China&#8217;s southeast coast. (Li Shilong\/Xinhua via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">China\u2019s complaints about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/training-sim\/2018\/04\/18\/china-sends-warning-to-taiwan-with-naval-drills-near-island\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">U.S. contacts with Taiwan<\/a> have grown louder, with the U.S. seeking to increase exchanges with the self-ruled island that Beijing claims as its territory, and selling more weapons to it. Mattis will likely hear those arguments made even more forcibly after Trump this year signed the Taiwan Travel Act encouraging high-level visits between the two sides, and the Department of Defense agreed to give American contractors marketing licenses for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/naval\/2018\/04\/09\/us-state-department-oks-license-for-submarine-tech-sales-to-taiwan\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">diesel-electric submarine technology<\/a> sought by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/training-sim\/2018\/06\/07\/see-taiwans-military-simulate-fight-against-chinese-attack\/\" title=\"\" target=\"_blank\">Taiwan\u2019s armed forces<\/a>. The U.S. government also approved a $1.4 billion arms sale to Taiwan last year, although in an effort to mollify Beijing, has been reluctant to supply everything the island\u2019s leadership wants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">TRUMP\u2019S \u201cSPACE FORCE\u201d CALL<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"667\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18174249107842.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-89192\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18174249107842.jpg.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18174249107842.jpg.jpg?resize=300,195 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18174249107842.jpg.jpg?resize=768,500 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In this June 20, 2018, file photo, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, center, steps away after speaking with the media at the Pentagon. (Alex Brandon\/AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump\u2019s announcement last week that he was directing the Pentagon to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/space\/2018\/06\/19\/trump-wants-a-space-force-now-what\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">create a new \u201cSpace Force\u201d<\/a> drew attention in China and may be among the items for discussion in Beijing. Trump framed space as a national security issue, saying he does not want \u201cChina and Russia and other countries leading us.\u201d While the U.S. has dominated in space since its 1969 moon landing, China is making strong headway, while Russia is in decline. China says it opposes the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcetimes.com\/flashpoints\/2018\/06\/21\/russia-warns-of-a-tough-response-to-creation-of-us-space-force\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">militarization of outer space<\/a>, but demonstrated its growing prowess in the field in 2007 when it fired a missile that destroyed a defunct Chinese satellite, creating an enormous debris field and drawing concerns from the U.S. and others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">CHINESE ARMY\u2019S OVERSEAS EXPANSION<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18174252273567.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-82794\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18174252273567.jpg.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18174252273567.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18174252273567.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In this April 12, 2018, file photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping, center in green military uniform, poses with soldiers on a navy ship for a photo after he reviewed the Chinese People&#8217;s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy fleet in the South China Sea. (Li Gang\/Xinhua via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to its increased presence in the South China Sea, China\u2019s People\u2019s Liberation Army is expanding its footprint in areas where the U.S. and its allies have traditionally held sway. Most strikingly, China opened its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2017\/07\/11\/china-sends-forces-to-1st-military-base-abroad-in-djibouti\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">first foreign military base in Djibouti<\/a> last year, joining the U.S. and a number of other countries with military installations in the Horn of Africa nation. Operating in closer proximity has at times created friction \u2014 the U.S. issued a formal complaint to Beijing over the use of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/air\/2018\/05\/03\/two-us-airmen-injured-by-chinese-lasers-in-djibouti\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">lasers that targeted U.S. aircraft in Djibouti<\/a> on several occasions. The U.S. has also complained about dangerous maneuvers by Chinese military aircraft tailing U.S. surveillance planes in the South and East China seas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">CHINA\u2019S TECHNOLOGICAL THREAT<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"661\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-954028880.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-76074\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-954028880.jpg.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-954028880.jpg.jpg?resize=300,194 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-954028880.jpg.jpg?resize=768,496 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A man uses his mobile phone in front of a Huawei shop in Shanghai on May 3, 2018. (Johannes Eisele\/ AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Department of Defense officials warned lawmakers last week that China and other countries were threatening America\u2019s \u201ctechnological and military dominance.\u201d Michael D. Griffin, undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, told the House Armed Services Committee\u2019s Military Personnel Subcommittee that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2018\/05\/03\/navy-secretary-other-us-officials-increasingly-sounding-alarm-over-chinese-smartphone-maker-huawei\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">China was stealing technology and intellectual property<\/a> in a way that was \u201csignificant and intentional.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who has accused China of \u201cintimidation and coercion\u201d in the South China Sea, visits Beijing this week as the countries increasingly spar over U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and Beijing\u2019s expanding military presence overseas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":40324,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":13,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[13,24,88,16,65,67],"tags":[],"coauthors":[2102],"class_list":["post-58486","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-flashpoints","category-home","category-left-column","category-news","category-pentagon-congress","category-your-air-force"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"QNZ2LKZ3XNEKXJJNRLEH23SQFY","arc_canonical_url":"\/flashpoints\/2018\/06\/24\/pentagon-chief-to-visit-china-amid-south-china-sea-tensions\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Pentagon chief to visit China amid South China Sea tensions - Air Force TImes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who has accused China of \u201cintimidation and coercion\u201d in the South China Sea, visits Beijing this week as the countries increasingly spar over U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and Beijing\u2019s expanding military presence overseas.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Pentagon chief to visit China amid South China Sea tensions\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who has accused China of \u201cintimidation and coercion\u201d in the South China Sea, visits Beijing this week as the countries increasingly spar over U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and Beijing\u2019s expanding military presence overseas.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/flashpoints\/2018\/06\/24\/pentagon-chief-to-visit-china-amid-south-china-sea-tensions\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Air Force TImes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-06-24T17:42:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T11:08:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Christopher Bodeen, The Associated Press\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Christopher Bodeen, The Associated Press\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" 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