Mattis Takes Hard Line On China In Singapore Speech

Singapore (CNN)US Defense Secretary James Mattis accused China of "intimidation and coercion" in the Indo-Pacific and declared that the United States does not plan to abandon its role in the region during a speech Saturday in Singapore. "Make no mistake: America is in the Indo-Pacific to stay. This is our priority theater," Mattis said. Mattis specifically called out Beijing's militarization of artificial islands in the South China Sea, home to some of the world's busiest sea lanes.