Secretary of Defense James Mattis calmed the tensions with Beijing, claiming that the U.S. was “not out to contain China” and that they are working together whenever they could, but sometimes they would “step on each other’s toes,” Bloomberg informed.
“Obviously, we’re not out to contain China. We’d have taken an altogether different stance had that been considered. It has not been considered,” he told reporters Monday on a plane en route to Vietnam.
“We seek a relationship with China that’s grounded in fairness, reciprocity and respect for sovereignty,” he said.
He said Washington is cooperating with China on issues including North Korea and the United Nations.
“So we’re two large powers, or two Pacific powers, two economic powers. There’s going to be times we step on each other’s toes, so we’re going to have to find a way to productively manage our relationship,” he said.
Mattis spoke on his way to attend defense ministers’ meetings hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Singapore, where he could cross paths with Chinese officials.
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