China’s placement of weapons systems on manmade islands in the South China Sea is designed to intimidate and coerce others in the region, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said yesterday. Mattis laid out a sharp criticism of Beijing at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, threatening larger consequences if militarization continues.

Laude, J. (2018, June 03). US defense chief hits SCS ‘intimidation’. Philippine Star, pp. 1, 8.