U.S. Defense Chief to Join Presidential China Trip for First Time in 54 Years...Security Issues to Dominate Talks

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[Financial News] The U.S. defense secretary, who has traditionally not accompanied presidents on visits to China, is reported to have joined President Donald Trump's trip to China, scheduled for the 13th to 15th. This is the first such case in about 54 years, since 1972.
The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on the 13th that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth boarded Air Force One, the presidential plane bound for China, on the 12th local time.
U.S. defense secretaries have generally visited China alone. The most recent visit was by former Defense Secretary James Mattis, who met Chinese President Xi Jinping in June 2018. Hegseth's trip to China is his first since taking office last year.
SCMP noted that a U.S. defense secretary accompanying a president on a China trip is an unusual departure from precedent. The last such case was President Richard Nixon's visit to China in 1972.
The outlet said Hegseth's participation suggests the Trump administration will discuss major security issues with the Chinese government during the trip, including tensions over Iran, Taiwan and the South China Sea.
At a Senate hearing on the morning of the 12th, Hegseth explained the White House's request for a record $1.5 trillion in defense spending submitted earlier this month. SCMP said the budget includes plans to boost the shipbuilding industry, strengthen space warfare capabilities and modernize nuclear weapons, all of which are areas of intense competition with China.
According to SCMP, officials from the U.S. Department of War and military generals emphasized in congressional hearings on the budget that the Chinese military is America's main rival. Several officials argued that the U.S. military's key mission in the Indo-Pacific region is "to deter China."
It is unclear whether Hegseth will meet with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun during Trump's visit. The two ministers met in person at an ASEAN defense ministers' meeting held in Malaysia on October 31 last year.
pjw@fnnews.com Park Jong-won Reporter