INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Mattis was heading to Hawaii to attend a change-of-command ceremony for the US military's Pacific Command
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis vowed Tuesday that the US would keep
confronting China over its territorial claims in the South China Sea, where Beijing has established a significant military presence on
contested islands.Mattis's remarks came after Beijing voiced "strong dissatisfaction" Sunday after two US warships sailed by an island in
the disputed Paracel Island chain."You'll notice there's only one country that seems to take active steps to rebuff (such operations) or
state their resentment of them, but it's international waters and a lot of nations want to see freedom of navigation, so we will continue
that," Mattis told reporters as he flew to Hawaii.The US Navy periodically conducts "freedom of navigation" operations in the contested
waterway, where it sails close to island features China has built into military facilities as a way of showing it rejects any territorial
claims."We are going out of our way to cooperate with Pacific nations, that's the way we do business in the world, but we are also going
to confront what we believe is out of step with international law," Mattis said.Sunday's operation was conducted just over a week after
Beijing flew nuclear-capable bombers to a disputed island, drawing immediate criticism from the US.Last week, the Pentagon pulled its
invitation to China to join maritime exercises in the Pacific over Beijing's "continued militarization" of the South China Sea.Beijing has
been building artificial islands to reinforce its claim over most of the resource-rich South China Sea, despite protests from Southeast
Asian countries.Its neighbors, particularly some of those involved in maritime disputes over the waters, have expressed fears China could
eventually restrict freedom of navigation and overflight."Our diplomats are robustly engaged on this," Mattis said."The concerns have come
to me not just from American government circles, but also from foreign nations that are concerned, very concerned about this continued
militarization of features in the South China Sea."Mattis was heading to Hawaii to attend a change-of-command ceremony for the US military's
Pacific Command.The current head, Admiral Harry Harris, has been nominated to be the new ambassador to South Korea
He will be replaced by Admiral Philip Davidson.Mattis is then due to attend a regional security conference in Singapore.(Except for the
headline, this story has not been edited by TheIndianSubcontinent staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
