US not seeking military bases in SE Asia

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US not seeking military bases in SE Asia

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The US wants greater military presence in SE Asia but does not seek permanent bases in the region.

28 January,2012 04:31 am

The United States wants a greater military presence in Southeast Asia but does not seek permanent bases anywhere in the region, the chief of the Pacific Command said Friday.Despite impending budget cuts, the U.S. wants to reinforce its presence in the Asia-Pacific, as its involvement in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan winds down. That reflects the regions growing economic importance and concern about Chinas military capabilities and intentions.Adm. said U.S. forces heavily deployed in Japan and South Korea are now biased toward Northeast Asia.He said arrangements announced in recent months to station American troops in northern Australia and dock Navy vessels in Singapore would enable the U.S. to rotate forces through Southeast Asia more easily, and without the cost of sustaining bases there.He indicated the U.S. was seeking something similar with the Philippines.We would welcome discussions with the Philippines along those lines but theres no aspirations for bases in Southeast Asia, Willard told a news conference.In Washington Friday, senior U.S. and Philippine diplomats and defense officials were rounding off two days of strategic talks on how they can enhance military cooperation.Both sides have been at pains to say re-establishing the kind of permanent American base that was closed in the Philippines 20 years ago is not on the cards. But in Manila, Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario said in a statement the Philippines was considering more joint military exercises with the U.S. and a rotating and more frequent presence by them.The Philippines also wants more training and American military hardware: an additional U.S. Coast Guard cutter, a squadron of F-16 fighter jets and other weapons to bolster its territorial defense.