'US must implement Obama's Asia Pacific rebalance strategy'

Security cooperation and defence trade with new powers like India should be increased

Asserting that the US must fully implement the Obama strategy to rebalance resources and attention to the Asia-Pacific region, a top Pentagon official has called for breaking down bureaucratic barriers to increase security cooperation and defence trade with new powers like India.

"In tandem with our civilian counterparts from across the US government, we must fully implement the President's strategy to rebalance resources and attention to the Asia- Pacific region," the Deputy Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter said in his remarks at the US Naval Academy on 'National Security Leadership for the 21st Century' yesterday.

Asia, he said, is home to 60% of the world's population, and the countries that border the Pacific account for well over half of the global economy.

The United States has been a Pacific nation for much of our history and will remain a Pacific power far into the future, he asserted.

Noting that the Asia Pacific theatre has enjoyed relative peace and stability for over 60 years, he said this has been true despite the fact that there's been no formal overarching security structure there, no NATO, to make sure that historical wounds are healed.

"And during those 60 years, first, Japan rose and prospered. And then South Korea rose and prospered. And then many countries of Southeast Asia rose and prospered. And today, India and China rise and prosper. The United States continues to welcome all of this," Carter said.

While the Asian political and economic miracle was realised first and foremost by the hard work and talent of Asian people, it was enabled by two critical American contributions, he said adding this included the pivotal role of US military power and presence in the region.

Carter said the United States is the security partner of choice for the vast majority of nations around the world.

"This is a state of affairs that our adversaries and competitors don't enjoy, and that gives us and our partners a tremendous advantage -- one worthy of our continued investment," he said.

"Maintaining this advantage means continuing to invest in NATO-and urging our closest European allies to do the same, so that as NATO winds down operations in Afghanistan, it stands ready to address 21st century threats ranging from ballistic missiles to piracy to cyber security," he said.

"It means reinvigorating crucial alliances in Northeast Asia, such as those we enjoy with Korea and Japan.

"It means breaking down bureaucratic barriers to increase security cooperation and defence trade with new powers, such as India - an effort I've dedicated a significant amount of my personal attention to in the last several years," Carter said.

"It means growing our participation and support for new multilateral forums like the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to increase regional trust, transparency and cooperation," he added.