BEIJING — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is due to visit Beijing next week amid tensions over trade and China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea. China’s foreign ministry announced Pompeo will visit on Monday for consultations on bilateral and international issues. U.S. Defence Secretary Jim Mattis has since dropped plans to visit China in October for talks. Meanwhile, a Chinese destroyer came aggressively close to a U.S. Navy ship in the South China Sea, forcing it to manoeuvr to prevent a collision, the U.S. Pacific Fleet said Tuesday. The Chinese defence ministry said Tuesday it opposes the U.S. warship’s entry into the waters “around China’s islands and reefs.”

Source: National Post October 04, 2018 04:07 UTC