US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis says China’s placement of weapons systems on man-made islands in the South China Sea is designed to intimidate and coerce other countries in the region. Laying out a sharp criticism of Beijing, Mattis on Saturday also blasted Chinese President Xi Jinping for reneging on a 2015 promise made at the White House that China would not militarize the island features. Mattis, in his remarks at the high-profile security summit Shangri-La Dialogue, said China faced “larger consequences” for its military buildup and deployment of high-end weapons systems in artificial islands in the disputed waterway.

Mangosing, F. G. (2018, June 3). China faces consequences for intimidation, US warns. Philippine Daily Inquirer, pp. A1, A13.