James Mattis has promised that President Trump’s “America First” policy will not mean a retreat from engagement with the world at large and the threats posed by North Korean nuclear weapons, Islamist terrorism and Chinese aggression in the South China Sea.
“Like it or not, we are part of the world,” the US defence secretary told defence ministers at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, an annual gathering organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies. “That carries through for all the frustrations that are felt in America right now, for the sense that at times we have carried an inordinate burden.”
He quoted a joke attributed to Winston Churchill: “Once we’ve exhausted all possible alternatives, the Americans will do the right thing. We will still be there and we will be there with you.”
Mr Mattis was speaking days after Mr Trump announced the US’s withdrawal from the Paris climate change treaty and after a Nato summit at which he failed explicitly to commit to the organisation’s doctrine of collective defence.
Mr Mattis emphasised the importance of the US’s alliances — at least with its Asian partners, including Japan, South Korea, Thailand and the Philippines. “The United States will continue to adapt and continue to expand its ability to work with others to secure a peaceful, prosperous and free Asia, one with respect for all nations upholding international law.”
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He added: “What a crummy world if we all retreat inside our own borders.”