Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe told the annual Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore this weekend that Beijing is prepared to use military force to back up its claims on Taiwan and disputed islands in the South China Sea.
Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan met with Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe on Friday at the Shangri-La Dialogue, a major Asian security summit held in Singapore.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis called out China for militarizing “artificial features” in the South China Sea — a dig at China’s placing weapons on land features claimed by several countries that China has turned into islands.
SINGAPORE — Although Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is expected to discuss North Korea during his talks with allies and partners at an annual defense conference in Singapore, he is also expected to address the other 800-lb. gorilla in the room — China.
