Defense Secretary Says US Will Push Back Against Beijing’s ‘Intimidation and Coercion’

Defense Secretary Says US Will Push Back Against Beijing’s ‘Intimidation and Coercion’
U.S. Defence Secretary James Mattis speaks during the first plenary session of the 17th Asian Security Summit of the IISS ShangriLa Dialogue in Singapore on June 2, 2018. Roslan Rahman/AFP/Getty Images
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In a high profile speech in Asia, U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis blasted China for committing “intimidation and coercion” in the South China Sea and said the United States will make sure Beijing’s aggression is met with “consequences.”

On Saturday Mattis spoke at the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual security summit in Singapore that each year attracts speakers who are the top policymakers in the defense and security community of countries across the western Pacific.