Defense Secretary Leon Panetta delivers a speech to troops at Yongsan military base in Seoul, South Korea, on Wednesday. Panetta told troops that their presence guards against North Korean provocations. Photo: AP
A Chinese analyst Monday lashed out at US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's criticism of China's military growth, saying it reveals the Obama administration's "hedging strategy" in dealing with China.
Panetta had noted that China's military has a troubling lack of transparency, but lauded the country's response to the US sale of arms to Taiwan.
Panetta's week-long Asian tour took him to Japan Monday, where he assured allies in the region that the US military presence in Asia would not be trimmed, despite US budget cuts.
"I want to make clear to everyone in this region ... that the Pacific remains a priority for the US," Panetta told US and Japanese military forces at Yokota Air Base.
He added that "we will continue to have force projection in that area, we will continue, not only maintain but strengthen our presence in this part of the world. The US is going to remain a presence in the Pacific for a long time. That means, we're not anticipating any cutbacks in this region."
In Indonesia, his first stop on the tour, Panetta acknowledged that US allies have expressed concerns "that America may not follow through on our commitments in this region," Reuters reported.
Stressing reasons why the US continues to remain a major Pacific force, the Pentagon chief cited concerns about China as one reason the US military presence in the Pacific was so critical.
"In the Pacific, we're concerned about China. The most important thing we can do is to project our force into the Pacific," Reuters quoted Panetta as saying.
On his first Asia tour as Pentagon chief, Panetta published an opinion piece in Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun criticizing China for its non-transparent expansion of military power, noting that China was rapidly modernizing its military "but with a troubling lack of transparency, coupled with increasingly assertive activity in the East and South China Seas," Reuters reported.
Jin Canrong, a vice director of the School of International Studies at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times that nations dependent on China economically but are also close to the US militarily would not completely entrust their security to Washington. He added that these countries would gradually find that repeated vocal support like Panetta's would not work in the long run.
"Besides, budget pressure stemming from economic woes at home and military operations abroad will put in doubt Panetta's pledge of a military build up in the Asia-Pacific region," Jin added.
However, Panetta also appreciated Beijing's response to the US arms sales to Taiwan last month.
"I would commend them for the way that they've handled the news of that sale to Taiwan, compared to the past," Panetta told reporters after a meeting with Indonesia's defense minister Sunday in Bali.
China said the US arms sale would disrupt China-US military exchanges and joint drills.
The statements by Panetta reveals the Obama administration's "hedging strategy" in dealing relations with China, Jin said.
"Washington sees Beijing as a partner on issues like the Korean Peninsula nuclear crisis and seeks China's cooperation, while at the same time wanting to use the disputes that China has with neighboring countries to consolidate its leading role in the Asia-Pacific region," he noted.
Global Times – Agencies