That's a real thing. But we don't feel like conflict is inevitable and certainly don't seek conflict with China. And that's why President Trump has that good relationship with Xi Jinping. But It was prudent for us to work with allies and partners in the Pacific to ensure that deterrence exists. And that's why a lot of my first phone calls as Secretary of Defense were to Pacific allies, to Australia, to Japan, to South Korea, to the Philippines and others, … (29:27–29:39)
CLAIM
Asserts that the U.S. is working with Pacific allies to ensure deterrence against China.
This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.
