- Joined
- Mar 22, 2015
- Location
- Untied States of America
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned China on Thursday that the U.S. has an arsenal of economic weapons to force Beijing to address trade imbalances and a continuing territorial dispute in the South China Sea.
“We can do this one of two ways,” Mr. Tillerson said during a 35-minute interview in his State Department office, seeming at times to speak directly to his Chinese counterparts. “We can do it cooperatively and collaboratively, or we can do it by taking actions and letting you react to that.”
Mr. Tillerson contrasted his approach to policy-making with that of President Donald Trump, saying each man’s style had been informed by his previous experience. While Mr. Trump works according to short time frames, he said, his own are much longer.
Seated in a wingback chair with his legs crossed, Mr. Tillerson acknowledged that he has been more open to speaking to reporters in recent weeks, granting a range of interviews.
On Thursday, he welcomed reporters from The Wall Street Journal into his office, noting that the name placards placed next to their seats were similar to the treatment he affords to visiting world leaders. Mr. Tillerson discussed both his role in the Trump administration and the policy areas he will confront in upcoming travel—to the Middle East and South Asia next week and to China and elsewhere next month.
https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/tillerson-warns-china-on-trade-territorial-claims-1508441697