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US troop commitment to South Korea is ‘ironclad’, says Mattis

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SEOUL/BEIJING: US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis on Thursday assured South Korea of an “ironclad” commitment to its security, including keeping US troop levels unaltered, even as diplomats seek an agreement with North Korea on denuclearisation.


Mattis, during a brief visit to Seoul, defended US President Donald Trump’s decision this month to halt “war games” with South Korea, saying it would increase the opportunity for diplomats to negotiate.


But Mattis added that US and South Korean forces would remain “united, vigilant and ready.”


Critics of Trump’s decision on the joint military exercises say it is a major concession to North Korea that, if prolonged during what are expected to be lengthy negotiations, risk eroding the readiness of US and South Korean forces.


North Korea has long sought a suspension of the drills.


The decision is part of efforts to defuse tensions and build trust, Mattis and his South Korean counterpart Song Young-moo said in a joint statement after their talks.


“The two ministers agreed to continue exploring confidence and peace-building measures as long as North Korea continues dialogue in good faith,” the statement said.


Trump has also drawn criticism from national security analysts for an agreement that emerged from his June 12 summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that had few details on how Pyongyang would surrender its nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.


“US commitment to the Republic of Korea remains ironclad and the US will continue to use the full range of diplomatic and military capabilities to uphold this commitment,” Mattis said before meeting Song.


“And this includes maintaining the current US force levels on the Korean peninsula,” he said. The US has about 28,500 troops in South Korea.


Meanwhile, China praised the tone of this week’s visit to Beijing by Mattis, saying it had achieve positive results and that Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe would go to Washington this year.


Mattis, the first US defence chief to come to China in four years, has described his talks as “very, very good”, even as President Xi Jinping told him China would not give up an inch of its territory, likely a reference to the disputed South China Sea and self-ruled Taiwan which China claims.


Mattis was in China at a time of high tension between Washington and Beijing over trade, the South China Sea and Taiwan.


But speaking at a monthly news briefing, Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said the two countries had reached an “important consensus” on mutual trust, further exchanges, cooperation and managing and controlling risks and challenges.


“The visit achieved positive, constructive outcomes,” Wu said.


He added that Defence Minister Wei has accepted an invitation from Mattis to visit the United States this year.


Their relationship has been tested in recent months. In May, the Pentagon withdrew an invitation to China to join a multinational naval exercise, citing China’s military moves in the South China Sea. The US decision upset Beijing and was raised during Mattis’ talks, officials said.


Mattis has previously made strong public remarks about what Washington views as the Chinese militarisation of the South China Sea.


In an editorial, the official China Daily noted the more positive tone from Mattis, but said it would be silly to expect his brief trip to resolve all their problems. — Reuters


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