5/3/2018

ASIA/CHINA/MILITARY/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday ‘there will be near-term and long-term consequences’ in response to a reported build-up of defense systems in the South China Sea. Sanders said the Trump administration has ‘raised concerns’ about the measures ‘directly’ with Chinese authorities. The remarks came in response to reports that Chinese officials have installed anti-ship cruise missiles and surface-to-air missile systems on several of its outposts west of the Philippines in the South China Sea, a hotly-contested area in east Asia…In recent weeks, Chinese and U.S. officials have largely focused their public exchanges on trade matters after Trump moved to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports despite opposition from foreign officials. “

-Cristiano Lima, “White House warns of ‘consequences’ for defense build-up in South China Sea,” Politico, May 3, 2018 3:13 pm