When US defense secretary Jim Mattis attends a security summit in Singapore this weekend, he hopes to assure allies of America’s commitment to the region and its aim of checking China’s seemingly inexorable rise. But the issue the Pentagon chief may well be faced with most often is one he would prefer not to weigh in on: what on Earth will happen between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and president Donald Trump? Mattis, whose department has spent years refining military options against North Korea and its nuclear programme, wants to steer clear of speculation surrounding a possible meeting between…
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