Obama tells Asia U.S. 'here to stay' as Pacific power
Nov 17, 2011
President Barack Obama announced on Thursday that the U.S. military would expand its role in the Asia-Pacific region, despite budget cuts, declaring America was "here to stay" as a Pacific power which would help shape the region's future.
President Barack Obama announced on Thursday that the U.S. military would expand its role in the Asia-Pacific region, despite budget cuts, declaring America was "here to stay" as a Pacific power which would help shape the region's future.
Obama, addressing Australia's parliament, also acknowledged China's misgivings at U.S. moves in the region, saying he would seek greater cooperation with Beijing.
The U.S. military, turning its focus away from Iraq and Afghanistan, would be more broadly distributed in Asia, particularly Southeast Asia, more flexible and help build regional capacity, Obama told the Australian parliament.
"As we end today's wars, I have directed my national security team to make our presence and missions in the Asia Pacific a top priority," Obama said in a major speech on Washington's vision for the Asia-Pacific region.
"As a result, reductions in U.S. defense spending will not -I repeat, will not - come at the expense of the Asia Pacific."
Obama was clear in acknowledging China's unease at what it sees as attempts by Washington to encircle it.
"We'll seek more opportunities for cooperation with Beijing, including greater communication between our militaries to promote understanding and avoid miscalculation," he said.
Nervous about China's growing clout, U.S. allies such as Japan and South Korea have sought assurances from the United States that it would be a strong counterweight in the region.
A first step in extending the U.S. military reach into Southeast Asia will see U.S. marines, naval ships and aircraft deployed to northern Australia from 2012.
China has questioned the U.S. deployment to Australia, raising doubts whether strengthening such alliances helped the region pull together at a time of economic gloom.
Obama said the United States would seek to work with China to ensure economic prosperity and security in the region, but would speak candidly about issues such as human rights in China and raise security issue like the South China Sea.
China claims the South China Sea, a vital shipping route rich in oil, minerals and fishery resources. But Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei hold rivals claims to at least parts of the sea, sparking maritime stand-offs.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pointedly visited the Philippines on Wednesday, saying that no claimant should resort to intimidation to push its cause.
Obama also referred in his address to reforms undertaken by Myanmar's new civilian leaders, including the release of political prisoners. But he said they had to do more on human rights in order to secure better relations with Washington.
Rory Medcalf, security analyst at the Lowy Institute for International Policy in Sydney, said Obama's speech marked a hardening of policy towards China, though he noted that the president was still reaching out to Beijing.
"I think we are seeing a firm stance from Obama. He spent the first year of his presidency trying very hard to engage with China, perhaps even to accommodate China," said Medcalf.
"I think he feels that he was rebuffed and that he was in effect taken advantage by China. So, there is a fundamental reorienting of American policy on display here."
U.S. SEEKS MORE FLEXIBLE FORCES IN ASIA
The winding down of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq has opened the door to greater U.S. attention to simmering tension over the South China Sea, a shipping lane for more than $5 trillion in annual trade that the United States wants to keep open.
Obama and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Wednesday agreed to have 2,500 U.S. Marines operate out of a de facto base in the northern port of Darwin by 2016.
Deploying U.S. Marines, ships and aircraft in Darwin, only 820 km (500 miles) from Indonesia, will allow the United States to quickly reach into Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean to ensure secure major trade sea-lanes.
"We are modernizing America's defense posture across the Asia-Pacific. It will be more broadly distributed, maintaining our strong presence in Japan and on the Korean peninsula, while enhancing our presence in Southeast Asia," said Obama.
"Our posture will be more flexible - with new capabilities to ensure that our forces can operate freely. And our posture will be more sustainable - by helping allies and partners build their capacity, with more training and exercises."
White House aide Ben Rhodes said the United States was sending a signal "that we're going to continue to play the role of underpinning security in this part of the region.
"Part of that context is a rising China," he said.
But Obama and his aides have stressed the United States is not seeking to isolate China or stoke tensions.
Obama's Australia visit falls midway through a nine-day Asia-Pacific tour that takes him next to Bali, where he will seek to underscore a focus on Asia by becoming the first U.S. president to participate in the security East Asia Summit.
Reuters