US to Ramp Up Military Presence in Asia-Pacific

June 08, 2012 from LinkAsia

In a trip to the region, US defense secretary Leon Panetta announced that the US would deploy 60 percent of its naval forces to the Asia-Pacific region. China has responded by announcing a plan to build four new aircraft carriers. MBC has the story.

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Leon Panetta

Leon Edward Panetta is an American politician, lawyer and professor. He served in the Barack Obama administration as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 2009 to 2011 and as Secretary of Defense from 2011 to 2013. An Italian-American Democrat, Panetta was a member ... Explore this topic

Asia-Pacific

Asia-Pacific or Asia Pacific is the part of the world in or near the Western Pacific Ocean. The region varies in size depending on context, but it typically includes at least much of East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania. The term may also include Russia and countries in the ... Explore this topic

South China Sea

The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around 3,500,000 square kilometres. The area's importance largely results from one-third of the world's shipping tran... Explore this topic

US-China relations

Sino-American or Chinese–US relations refers to international relations between the government of the United States of America and the government of People's Republic of China. Most analysts characterize present Sino-American relations as being complex and multi-faceted. The U... Explore this topic

Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic and volcanic a... Explore this topic

Aircraft carrier

An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project airpower worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations... Explore this topic

Navy

A navy is a fleet of waterborne military vessels. It is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It includes anything conducted... Explore this topic

US Secretary of Defense

The Secretary of Defense is the leader and chief executive officer of the Department of Defense, an Executive Department of the Government of the United States of America. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in many other countries. The S... Explore this topic

LinkAsia

From Beijng to Tokyo, from Seoul to New Delhi and beyond, LinkAsia takes viewers into media about Asia -- from Asia -- offering unfiltered insight into one of the most diverse, fast-paced regions of the globe. Each week, LinkAsia brings you a unique half-hour program that co... Explore this topic

Yul Kwon

Yul Kwon is an American television host and former government official, lawyer, and management consultant based in Virginia. He first gained national recognition as the winner of the reality TV show Survivor: Cook Islands in 2006. He is currently hosting the TV series America ... Explore this topic

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Leon Panetta

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Transcript

Thuy Vu:
Hi, welcome to LinkAsia. I'm Thuy Vu. Yul Kwon is on assignment. We're starting off the show by looking at how the US is pivoting towards Asia. As you may know, US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta made a visit to Southeast Asia this week. It's a clear indication that the US is trying to beef up military presence and perhaps also looking to strengthen alliances. Some Chinese view this shift as a threat. So that raises the question: Is the US trying to contain China? South Korean broadcaster MBC has the story.

Reporter:
As the number of territorial disputes increases between China and other Asian countries in the seas around China, the US announces that it will reinforce its naval forces in the Asia-Pacific region.

Leon Panetta, United States Secretary of Defense:
We are rebalancing our forces to the Asia-Pacific region, so that in the future, 60 percent of our forces will be located in this region.

Reporter:
By redeploying 60 percent of its naval forces to the Pacific region and 40 percent to the Atlantic, instead of 50 percent in each ocean, the US is relocating 10 percent more forces to the Asia-Pacific region, facing China. The Chinese government is critical of the shift.

Liu Weimin, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman:
We expect the US to play a constructive role and respect the interests and concerns of China in the Asia-Pacific region.

Reporter:
China is also taking action against the US decision. To celebrate China's People's Liberation Army Day on August 1st, an aircraft carrier has arrived in Dalian after completing its seventh sea trial. And Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV reports that China plans to build four new aircraft carriers designed with "stealth" technology, and these new additions to China's naval forces are grabbing people's attention. Meanwhile, the US defense secretary, who revealed the new plan for reinforced naval forces in the Asia-Pacific region, is heading to Vietnam right after the Asia Security Council meeting in Singapore. And the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff is going to the Philippines, and that worries China.

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