China welcomes Mattis' emphasis on South China Sea diplomacy
U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis walks off an aircraft upon his arrival at Yokota Air Base on the outskirts of Tokyo, Japan, February 3, 2017.
China on Monday welcomed U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis' suggestion that diplomacy should be the priority in the South China Sea, and that major U.S. military action was not being considered to contend with China's assertive behavior there.
Mattis, speaking in Tokyo on Saturday, blamed China for "shredding the trust of nations in the region", but also played down any need for U.S. military maneuvers in the disputed waters of the South China Sea and instead called for open lines of communication.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-southchinasea-china-idUSKBN15L0ZS
