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| US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates arrives in Melbourne, Australia on November 7, 2010 |
PressTV
US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates says Washington plans to expand its military presence in the Asia-Pacific region, denying that the move is a challenge to China.
"We're looking at ways to strengthen and perhaps make more robust our presence in Asia," Gates said, en route to Melbourne, where he later held talks with Australian officials, AFP reported on Sunday.
On his arrival, Gates added that the US and Australia will discuss deepening military ties, including cooperation on cyber security and missile defense and "space surveillance."
The US official noted that Washington has “no plans for new US bases in Australia or elsewhere in the region.”
The Australian meeting comes amid concern over China's military buildup in the Pacific. The US has frequently expressed alarm about China's military buildup in the Pacific.
But Gates insisted that Washington's plans in the region are not aimed at antagonizing or countering Beijing. "This isn't about China at all," he said.
The United States says it is interested in strengthening military ties with Asian countries in a bid to boost counterterrorism and military cooperation.
Australia's Defense Minister Stephen Smith greeted Gates upon his arrival and the US defense chief is expected to join US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who arrived in Melbourne on Saturday for a string of meetings.
Clinton's visit is the final leg of her 10-day Asia-Pacific tour which took her to Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand.
The AUSMIN meetings, which will be attended by Australian foreign and defense ministers and their US counterparts, are scheduled to be held on Monday in Melbourne.
The two countries have held the AUSMIN meetings, which are the principal forum for bilateral consultations between the US and Australia, regularly since 1985.
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