New US training base in Australia is all about the rise of China
| Washington
The news that thousands of US troops will be headed to a forward base in Australia over the next several years is a robust confirmation of what senior Pentagon officials have been predicting for months: That as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan wind down, the US military will increasingly begin turning its attention to the Pacific.
This stepped-up focus is the result of concerns among many in the Defense Department that China is economically and militarily strong 鈥� and getting stronger by the day.
It is not only China鈥檚 ascendancy, however, that concerns senior military officials. It is equally disturbing, the officials gripe, that Chinese officials are far from transparent about both their technological advances and their intentions.
Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta emphasized these points during his first trip to Asia last month. That he took up the topic was not simply a function of his audience. He also raised the specter of China鈥檚 rise earlier in October as well, at a town-hall meeting with US troops in Europe.
鈥淲e鈥檙e concerned about China,鈥� he told them, and it is a concern the Pentagon intends to address, Mr. Panetta added 鈥� despite the strong push to cut the defense budget during a period of economic crisis.
On this point, he has support even among lawmakers on the other side of the political aisle. China 鈥渋s strategically positioning itself to militarily and economically challenge US influence and capabilities in the Asia-Pacific,鈥� Rep. J. Randy Forbes (R) of Virginia, chairman of the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee, warned Wednesday.
In a statement following the release of the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission鈥檚 annual report to Congress, Representative Forbes said that the report 鈥渕akes it abundantly clear that China is actively seeking to exploit the United States鈥� military vulnerabilities.鈥�
It doesn鈥檛 help, Forbes added, that 鈥淐ongress is busy dismantling the United States military with arbitrary cuts that could total a trillion dollars.鈥�
Countering China鈥檚 military growth will likely require a show of strength on the part of the US military, Panetta has predicted. 鈥淭he most important things we can do is to project our force into the Pacific,鈥� he told US service members in Italy in early October. 鈥淭o have our carriers there, to have our fleet there, to be able to make very clear to China that we are going to protect international rights to be able to move across the oceans freely.鈥�
Defense officials for their part have described the US presence in the Pacific as a 鈥渞ealignment鈥� of US interests.
This 鈥渞ealignment鈥� comes on the heels of China鈥檚 push to build anti-ship missiles, aircraft carriers, and stealth fighter jets that could, senior defense officials warn, threaten the US Pacific fleet.
In past years, China鈥檚 proven ability to shoot down satellites in space and its proclivity for cyberincursions into US defense systems have also garnered grave warnings from US officials.
The US military presence in Australia is expected to expand to somewhere in the neighborhood of 2,500 Marines over the next several years.
When they arrive and begin their work, beginning in mid-2012, it will be the first time US troops have ever conducted military exercises alone on Australian soil.
There are currently some 85,000 US troops stationed in South Korea and Japan. The new US agreement with Australia calls initially for 鈥渃ompany-size rotations鈥� of US Marines to be sent to the northern Australian region of Darwin for six-month tours. 鈥淐ompany-size鈥� elements in this case will include approximately 200 to 250 troops, according to US military officials.
President Obama, speaking in Australia on Tuesday, called the new troop deployment 鈥渘ecessary to maintain the security architecture of the region.鈥� Further, he added, 鈥淭his will allow us to be able to respond in a more timely fashion鈥� and 鈥渢o meet the demands of a lot of partners in the region.鈥�
Indeed, Panetta for his part has noted that some of America鈥檚 Asian allies have expressed trepidation about how US defense cuts 颅鈥� which are expected to total at least $450 billion in the next decade 鈥� will impact the US posture in the Pacific.
During his recent trip to Asia, Panetta sought to allay these worries. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no question that those concerns have been expressed,鈥� he said. 鈥淟et me assure you that we will not be reducing our presence in Asia.鈥�
He added, 鈥淚鈥檝e made it clear that even with the budget constraints that we are facing in the United States鈥� there is 鈥渘o question that in discussions with the Pentagon, and discussions with the White House, that the Pacific will be a priority for the United States of America.鈥�
