US Defense Secretary Warns China That The US Isn't 'Going To Be Stopped By Anybody' In The South China Sea

Secretary of Defense Mark Esper says he plans to visit China for talks on "crisis communications" (AFP Photo/Greg Nash)

Business Insider: Pentagon chief warns Beijing that the US military isn't 'going to be stopped by anybody' from operating in the South China Sea

* Secretary of Defense Mark Esper warned Beijing on Tuesday that the US isn't "going to be stopped by anybody" in the South China Sea, stressing that US aircraft carriers will continue to sail these waters.
* His remarks follows a statement last week from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo rejecting many of China's maritime claims and criticizing its efforts to enforce its will.
* While Esper was tough on China in his remarks, he extended an olive branch that revealed that he is planning a trip to China, his first as secretary of defense, before the end of the year.

Secretary of Defense Mark Esper warned Beijing on Tuesday that the US isn't "going to be stopped by anybody" in the South China Sea, the latest in a series of tough remarks from the US on the strategic waterway.

He said at a virtual International Institute for Strategic Studies event that China "continues to engage in systematic rule-breaking, coercion, and other malign activities, and most concerning, to me, is the People's Liberation Army continues its aggressive behavior in the East and South China Sea."

"We hope the [Chinese Communist Party] will change its ways, but we must be prepared for the alternative," he added. "We must uphold the free and open system that has secured peace and prosperity for millions and defend the principles that undergird it."

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WNU Editor: The US Defense Secretary wants to visit China later this year .... US defense secretary says he plans to visit China this year (AFP).

Update: China has responded .... South China Sea Dispute: Beijing Warns US Against Military Escalation (IBTimes).