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| US SecDef James Mattis |
BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis' reiteration of America's defense commitments to its allies in Asia during his maiden visit to the region over the weekend has added uncertainty to regional stability.
By reaffirming U.S. engagement, the new Pentagon chief's visit to South Korea and Japan seems to have raised more uncertainties in the Asia-Pacific instead of bringing stability as he claimed.
STABILIZER OR STIMULATOR?
During his three-day visit ending Saturday, Mattis offered most key security reassurances that Tokyo and Seoul, the two key U.S. allies in Asia, have long been eager to hear after remarks made by U.S. President Donald Trump in his campaign trail.
In a series of meetings with senior Japanese officials, Mattis reiterated his country's mutual defense commitment to Japan, saying that their alliance remained a "cornerstone" of regional stability.
Mattis's praise of Japan as "a model" of burden-sharing downplayed the accusation of "free-rider" on security that Trump made in his presidential campaign.
The hawkish former four-star general also claimed that the Diaoyu Islands, an inherent part of the Chinese territory, fell under Article 5 of the U.S.-Japan security treaty, a statement sparking criticism from China.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said later that the so-called U.S.-Japan treaty was a product of the Cold War, and should not impair China's territorial sovereignty and legitimate rights.
Read the full story at Xinhua