January 24, 2017

Is Trump ready for war in the South China Sea, or is his team just not being clear?

Featuring: Mira Rapp-Hooper

Source: The Washington Post

Journalist: Simon Denyer

Was this a prelude to a major escalation in the South China Sea, or is the Trump administration having trouble articulating its foreign policy?

On Monday, new White House spokesman Sean Spicer said the United States would prevent China from taking over territory in international waters in the South China Sea.

His comments were widely interpreted as doubling down on remarks by Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, on Jan. 11 that the United States would not allow China access to islands it has built in the South China Sea, and upon which it has installed weapons systems and built military-length airstrips.

Read the full article at The Washington Post.

Author

  • Mira Rapp-Hooper

    Former Adjunct Senior Fellow, Asia-Pacific Security Program

    Mira Rapp-Hooper is a former Adjunct Senior Fellow with the Asia-Pacific Security Program at CNAS. She is formerly a Fellow with the CSIS Asia Program and Director of the CSIS...