. Earth Science News .
TRADE WARS
US alarmed by China's 'predatory' practices: Mattis
by Staff Writers
Hanoi (AFP) Oct 16, 2018

The United States is alarmed by China's increasingly muscular military presence and "predatory economic practices" towards smaller countries in Asia, defence chief James Mattis has said on his way to the region.

Speaking as he flew out for a diplomatic tour that will take him to Vietnam and Singapore, the US Defense Secretary said Washington was not trying to hold back its Pacific rival.

"Obviously, we're not out to contain China," he told reporters. "We'd have taken an altogether different stance had that been considered."

"We're two large powers, or two Pacific powers, two economic powers. There's going to be times we step on each other's toes, so we're going to have to find a way to productively manage our relationship," he said.

But he highlighted key sticking points with Beijing, remarking that the same issues have also rattled some of China's neighbours.

"We remain highly concerned with continued militarisation of features in the South China Sea," Mattis said on a flight to Ho Chi Minh City, the former capital of the US-backed southern regime.

China claims nearly all of the South China Sea -- building a growing roster of military installations on reefs and artificial islands there -- even though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of strategic waterway.

Washington regularly conducts freedom of navigation exercises in the sea and earlier this month US defence officials said a Chinese warship sailed within yards of an American destroyer forcing it to change course.

Mattis also singled out what he described as "predatory economic behaviour" by Beijing "where massive debt is piled on countries that fiscal analysis would say they are going to have difficulty, at best, repaying in the smaller countries".

- Escalating tensions -

Sri Lanka famously gave Beijing a 99-year lease to a deep sea port after it was unable to pay back Chinese loans for the $1.4 billion project.

Mattis's visit comes amid escalating tensions between the two superpowers over trade, Beijing's growing military might and allegations by the US that China is interfering in the American electoral process.

His visit to China scheduled for later this month was cancelled because of those tensions.

Trump has levied billions of dollars in tariffs on Chinese imports as he presses Beijing to change restrictive trade practices that he says unfairly hurt American businesses, prompting fears of a shock to the global trade system.

Vietnam is eager to bolster military ties with the United States amid its ongoing dispute with Beijing in the South China Sea, which Hanoi says it has historic rights to.

In March Vietnam hosted a US aircraft carrier in Danang in what analysts said was a clear show of strength and a veiled message to Beijing.

This is Mattis's second trip to Vietnam this year after a visit to Hanoi in January, and the defence chief is slated to go to a former US air base as part of a dioxin remediation program.


Related Links
Global Trade News


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


TRADE WARS
China's Belt and Road tempts states, but comes with risks
Nusa Dua, Indonesia (AFP) Oct 13, 2018
China's massive "Belt and Road Initiative" building push may create debt risks but is also responding to major infrastructure gaps in Asia and could boost global trade, World Bank officials say. The relatively upbeat assessment of a sometimes controversial programme comes despite the debt crisis now faced by Pakistan, a recipient of massive Chinese loans. China launched the ambitious plan in 2013 under President Xi Jinping, seeking to link Asia, Europe and Africa with a network of ports, highway ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

TRADE WARS
World Bank offers disaster-hit Indonesia $1 bn in loans

Moroccan navy rescues 38 migrants at sea

Museveni visits site of deadly Uganda landslide

Rescue teams in Florida search for survivors in hurricane-devastated Mexico Beach

TRADE WARS
Lockheed Martin reaches technical milestone for Long Range Discrimination Radar

Shareholders in Chile miner file suit over sale to China's Tianqi

Blue phosphorus mapped and measured for the first time

High entropy alloys hold the key to studying dislocation avalanches in metals

TRADE WARS
Oyster populations at risk as climate change transforms ocean ecosystems

EU's new Baltic fish catch quotas anger environmentalists

Long range ENSO forecasting extended one year

Sea snail shells dissolve in increasingly acidified oceans, study shows

TRADE WARS
'Year of extremes' for shrinking Swiss glaciers in 2018: study

Arctic sea ice decline driving ocean phytoplankton farther north

Climate models fail to simulate recent air-pressure changes over Greenland

Scientists find missing piece in glacier melt predictions

TRADE WARS
Diversity is key to sustainability for local chicken farming in Africa

A warmer spring leads to less plant growth in summer

Study finds potential benefits of wildlife-livestock coexistence in East Africa

China prices rise as cost of food spikes

TRADE WARS
Evacuations ordered amid deadly flooding in central Texas

Deadly floods hit southwest France

Floods in Niger claim 45 lives since June: UN

Terror-hit French town suffers second trauma in floods

TRADE WARS
Dozens dead in Niger/Nigeria crackdown on criminal gangs

Gambia launches truth commission into ex-dictator's abuse

Anti-terror force in Sahel begins officer training

Ethiopian PM hands half of cabinet to women, including defence job

TRADE WARS
City of Koh Ker was occupied for centuries longer than previously thought

Humans may have colonized Madagascar later than previously thought

Wild chimpanzees share food with their friends

Affable apes live longer, study shows









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.