ASIA PACIFIC / Politics

In first, Washington calls on Beijing to remove missiles from South China Sea

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Wei Fenghe (second from left), U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and Chinese Politburo member Yang Jiechi shake hands at the conclusion of a news conference at the State Department in Washington on Friday. | AP

By Jesse Johnson
Staff Writer

Nov 10, 2018

The United States has for the first time urged China to remove missile systems deployed to contested man-made islands in the South China Sea, the Pentagon said Friday.

The move, believed to be the first time the U.S. had directly addressed the issue, came in a statement recapping high-level talks between the two sides in Washington on Friday.

"The United States called on China to withdraw its missile systems from disputed features in the Spratly Islands, and reaffirmed that all countries should avoid addressing disputes through coercion or intimidation," the statement said.

In first, Washington calls on Beijing to remove missiles from South China Sea

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