Amid Tensions In The South China Sea U.S. Defense Secretary Carter Has Cancelled His China Visit

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter holds a news conference at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia August 20, 2015. REUTERS/JONATHAN ERNST

Washington Post: Pentagon chief postpones visit to China as tensions simmer in South China Sea

Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter will embark on a trip in coming days that will focus heavily on China’s influence across Southeast Asia, including the disputed South China Sea. But the secretary’s travel itinerary won’t include a key player in that discussion: China itself.

The trip will include visits to India and the Philippines before Carter pivots to the Middle East with stops in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said in a statement Friday. The Pentagon has sought to strengthen relationships with India and the Philippines as China expands its military and puts a variety of new equipment and weapons in the South China Sea, including surface-to-air missiles and advanced radar.

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WNU Editor: This should be a heads-up to everyone .... it is going to be a "hot and tense  summer" this year in the South China Sea.