No Extra Forces Needed in Gulf Now, Defense Chief Says

by Dramelin 10:00 PM 0 comments

Mr. Mattis also signaled restraint on another hot spot: the South China Sea. During his meeting Saturday with Ms. Inada, Mr. Mattis did not bring up the matter of Japan?s financial commitment to its military defense, according to briefings from both countries. Under Mr. Abe, Japan has increased its annual defense budget five years in a row. ?What we have to do is exhaust all diplomatic efforts to try to resolve this properly,? he said. Mr. Mattis said that China?s territorial claim to almost all of its waters ?has shredded the trust of nations in the region.? But he emphasized that he saw no need for more military maneuvers in the area.