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| US SecDef Jim Mattis |
By Patricia Lourdes Viray
MANILA, Philippines — There is no need for the United States to make "dramatic" military moves in the disputed South China Sea as Beijing nearly completes its facilities in the region, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said.
Mattis noted that the US will exhaust all diplomatic efforts to properly address the longstanding maritime dispute.
"And certainly our military stance should be one that reinforces our diplomats in this regard," Mattis said in Tokyo last Saturday.
The US Defense secretary, however, noted that China has "shredded the trust of nations in the region" following its land reclamation activities in the South China Sea.
Read the full story at The Philippine Star