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Nov. 16 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama and Australia Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced a defense accord to deploy American Marines on Australian bases next year as the U.S. moves to counter China's regional influence.
Marines will be stationed in Darwin and northern Australia under the agreement the two leaders announced today at a press conference in Canberra. The troops will be deployed on a six- month rotation, starting with 250 personnel and eventually expanding to as many as 2,500, Gillard said.
Obama pledged sustained Asia-Pacific leadership, saying he is "stepping up" his commitment to the region in the face of fiscal tightening at home. At stake for Australia is anchoring an American presence in the western Pacific that can help safeguard sea lanes that host more than $5 trillion of trade.
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The U.S.-Australia agreement came as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged in Manila to give the Philippines more military support as the Southeast Asian country presses China to back off claims in disputed waters rich in oil and gas. Asked about Clinton's comments, Liu said external involvement in territorial disputes over the South China Sea is not beneficial and will only complicate the problem.
While the U.S. move to beef up military relations with Australia has been planned for years, it's significant that the message was delivered by Obama, said Robert Dujarric, director of the Institute of Contemporary Asian Studies at Temple University's Tokyo campus.
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The U.S. and Australia also agreed today to more cooperation between the Royal Australian Air Force and the U.S. Air Force, resulting in more U.S. aircraft passing through northern Australia, according to a statement from Gillard's office.
The joint initiatives involving Australian facilities are part of an ongoing review of "U.S. force posture" in the Asia- Pacific region,'' the statement said.
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Marines will be stationed in Darwin and northern Australia under the agreement the two leaders announced today at a press conference in Canberra. The troops will be deployed on a six- month rotation, starting with 250 personnel and eventually expanding to as many as 2,500, Gillard said.
Obama pledged sustained Asia-Pacific leadership, saying he is "stepping up" his commitment to the region in the face of fiscal tightening at home. At stake for Australia is anchoring an American presence in the western Pacific that can help safeguard sea lanes that host more than $5 trillion of trade.
>
The U.S.-Australia agreement came as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged in Manila to give the Philippines more military support as the Southeast Asian country presses China to back off claims in disputed waters rich in oil and gas. Asked about Clinton's comments, Liu said external involvement in territorial disputes over the South China Sea is not beneficial and will only complicate the problem.
While the U.S. move to beef up military relations with Australia has been planned for years, it's significant that the message was delivered by Obama, said Robert Dujarric, director of the Institute of Contemporary Asian Studies at Temple University's Tokyo campus.
>
The U.S. and Australia also agreed today to more cooperation between the Royal Australian Air Force and the U.S. Air Force, resulting in more U.S. aircraft passing through northern Australia, according to a statement from Gillard's office.
The joint initiatives involving Australian facilities are part of an ongoing review of "U.S. force posture" in the Asia- Pacific region,'' the statement said.
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