By CNN's Liz Neisloss
SINGAPORE
(CNN) - As part of a "rebalancing" with Asia, the United States will enhance military-to-military
cooperation with China
while also boosting the capabilities of its allies in the region, U.S. Defense
Secretary Leon Panetta said Saturday.
Panetta detailed the new defense strategy to a
gathering of Asia's military leaders, saying the majority of U.S. warships would move to Asia.
"By 2020 the Navy will reposture its forces
from today's roughly 50-50 split from the Pacific and Atlantic to a 60-40 split
in those oceans," Panetta said.
"We will also invest - invest in cyber,
invest in space, invest in unmanned systems, invest in special forces
operations," he said. "We will invest in the newest technologies. And
we will invest in new technology to mobilize quickly, if necessary,"
Panetta said.
Along with enhanced
military cooperation, Panetta emphasized diplomacy and a "rules-based
order" that includes "open and free commerce, and open access by all
to their shared domains of sea and air" - a current point of friction in
the South China Sea between China
and regional nations. Panetta called for disputes to be resolved without
coercion or the use of force.
The defense secretary was kicking off his
eight-day trip to Asia, geared toward explaining the U.S. strategy.
The so-called U.S.
'tilt' to Asia includes beefing up the strength of its regional allies such as
the Philippines and Vietnam.
"We will play an essential role in promoting
strong partnerships that strengthen the capabilities of the Pacific nations to
defend and secure themselves," Panetta said.
Asked if helping the militaries of regional
allies would raise the potential for conflict, Panetta said, "I don't
think we should take the attitude that just because we improve their
capabilities that we are asking for more trouble."
Panetta said the United
States should "do everything we can" to help
those countries defend themselves, but at the same time, the U.S. would
"encourage them ... to abide by an international set of rules and
standards and order."
The increased regional involvement by the United States has raised concerns about tensions
with China and suggestions
it represents a threat to China.
"I reject that view entirely," Panetta
said, calling the U.S. shift
"fully compatible with the development and growth of China. Indeed,
increased U.S. involvement
in this region will benefit China."
Panetta said the United
States will work to improve communication with China with an
aim to "build trust" between the two nations.
Looming over the discussions in Singapore is the conflict between China and various regional nations - such as the
Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei,
Malaysia and Taiwan - over the South
China Sea.
The South China Sea, nicknamed "the second Persian Gulf" because of its potential for massive
oil and gas reserves, is also a key passageway for the world's oil and is home
to enormously valuable fisheries.
A crisis in the area has the potential for major
economic damage to the United
States as well. As one of the busiest sea
lanes in the world, disputes in the South China Sea
could have a major impact on shipping by forcing costly rerouting.
According to estimates by the Center for
Strategic and International Studies, $5.3 trillion of trade passes each year
through the South China Sea; U.S.
trade accounts for $1.2 trillion.
There have been several disputes recently, with
concern that such incidents could spark military action.
Speaking to the gathering by the International
Institute of Strategic Studies (Asia), which included defense ministers and top
military officials from 27 countries, Panetta said the U.S. supports the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations' (ASEAN's) development of a binding code
of conduct for the South China Sea area.
On the other side of the U.S.-Asia strategy is an
emphasis on building the U.S.-China relationship. "The key here is to try
to strengthen mil-to-mil so that we can have greater transparencies ... and to
take steps to confront mutual challenges," Panetta said.
He said the United
States was "clear eyed" about its relationship
with China.
"We're not naive about the relationship, and neither is China. ... But
we also both understand that there really is no other alternative but for both
of us to engage."
"We have also agreed on the need to address
responsible behavior in cyberspace and in outer space," Panetta added.
Panetta said he plans to visit China sometime
this summer.
The U.S. decision to play a larger role in Asia
comes against the backdrop of rising military spending in that region while the
U.S. trims its own military in the face of massive deficits.
Defense spending in Asia has been projected to
surpass Europe's this year. "There is no
doubt that it will continue to increase in the future," Panetta said.
To offset U.S.
budget realities, the United
States will "sharpen the technological edge
of our forces," Panetta said.
He said the U.S. military "will be
smaller, and it will be leaner, but it will be agile and flexible and quickly
deployable and will employ cutting edge technology in the future."
Panetta detailed how the United States will spend its money with
"investments" in rapid deployment technology and in capabilities that
will help the U.S.
deal with the realities of long distances in the Pacific such as "new
aerial refueling tankers, a new bomber, an advanced maritime patrol and anti-submarine
warfare aircraft."
Under required budget cuts by Congress, the
Department of Defense must reduce the planned budget by nearly half a trillion
dollars over the next decade.
Despite financial constraints, Panetta said,
there is a "detailed blueprint" for meeting regional goals and its
fiscal responsibilities.
"Make no mistake - in a steady, deliberate
and sustainable way, the United
States military is rebalancing and is
bringing an enhanced capability ... to this vital region," he said.
Also present at the conference, U.S. Republican
Sen. John McCain said U.S.
budget cuts will affect the outlined Asia
strategy.
"At some point, and I think we are at that
point, we will not be able to carry out the commitments," McCain told
reporters. He said money for additional ships could be found by spending less
on the redeployment of U.S. marines out of Okinawa, Japan, and by getting the
"cost, waste and mismanagement" of weapons systems in the Pentagon
under control.
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