US Defense Secretary James Mattis arrived in Beijing on his first ever visit to China on Tuesday, aiming to find room for military cooperation as security tensions between the two superpowers edge higher. With Washington and Beijing locked in an escalating trade war, and the Pentagon alarmed over China’s placement of weapons on disputed islands in the South ChinaSea, Mattis said he would seek areas where the two sides share interests, including persuading North Korea to give up its nuclear arsenal. Mattis is scheduled to meet his Chinese counterpart, Defense Minister Wei Fenghe, for the first time as well as other top officials, to “take measure” of their views.

US defense chief visits China as tensions arise. (2018, June 27). Manila Standard, p. B3.