ASIA/CHINA/DEFENSE/JAMES MATTIS/MILITARY/TRUMP PEOPLE: “U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis held high-profile talks with his Chinese counterpart on Thursday [10-18-18], as the United States seeks to forge to more resilient military ties that can withstand mounting pressure between the world’s two largest economies. Mattis saw first hand last month how growing Sino-U.S. friction can undermine military contacts when Beijing up-ended plans for him to travel to China in October to meet Defense Minister Wei Fenghe. It was apparent retaliation over U.S. sanctions. Mattis and Wei made no remarks as the two shook hands at the start of their talks in Singapore, which took place on the sidelines of a gathering of Asian defense ministers. Randall Schriver, a U.S. assistant secretary of defense who helps guide Pentagon policy in Asia, said making military-to-military ties with China less brittle would be crucial to helping reduce the chances of a devastating conflict.”
–Phil Stewart, “As tensions mount, Mattis seeks more resilient U.S. ties with China’s military,” Reuters, October 17, 2018 11:29 pm