JAPAN: The top U.S. diplomat for East Asian affairs Kurt Campbell says the United States will maintain a "very strong" military presence in Asia

Record ID: 187113

  • Title: JAPAN: The top U.S. diplomat for East Asian affairs Kurt Campbell says the United States will maintain a "very strong" military presence in Asia
  • Date: 7th January 2012
  • Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (JANUARY 6, 2012) (REUTERS) ( * BEWARE FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **) JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTRY BUILDING JAPANESE FLAG UNITED STATES ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EAST ASIAN AND PACIFIC AFFAIRS KURT CAMPBELL WALKING IN FOR MEDIA INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EAST ASIAN AND PACIFIC AFFAIRS KURT CAMPBELL SAYING "Even while the United States is making an adjustment in its global military posture, we are intent on maintaining a very strong, enduring military presence in the Asian-Pacific region, and I just want to underscore that overall, our commitment to the security of Japan and the regional security in Asia will continue, and we will also be taking steps to strengthen and diversify our security relationships around the Pacific." CAMPBELL LISTENING TO QUESTION (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EAST ASIAN AND PACIFIC AFFAIRS KURT CAMPBELL SAYING "We understand some of the difficulties this raises for Japan and other partners, but I think we all share and are interested in making sure that Iran is dissuaded from steps that leads toward unacceptable nuclear options." MEDIA FOLLOWING CAMPBELL WALKING OFF
  • Embargoed: 22nd January 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan, Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA575FCXWBL7MH5HVMLGIWTZ5KD
  • Story Text: The top U.S. diplomat for East Asian affairs, Kurt Campbell, said on Friday (January 6, 2012) the United States will maintain a "very strong" military presence in the Asia-Pacific region.
    The U.S. Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs reiterated what U.S. President Barack Obama and the Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta underscored in a new defence strategy unveiled on Thursday (January 5).
    "Even while the United States is making an adjustment in its global military posture, we are intent on maintaining a very strong, enduring military presence in the Asian-Pacific region, and I just want to underscore that overall, our commitment to the security of Japan and the regional security in Asia will continue, and we will also be taking steps to strengthen and diversify our security relationships around the Pacific," Campbell told reporters after he met Japanese diplomats at Japan's foreign ministry in Tokyo.
    In the strategy, "Sustaining U.S. Global Leadership: Priorities for 21st Century Defence," Pentagon would expand the U.S. military presence in Asia while cutting down the overall global size of the force as it seeks to slash spending by nearly half a trillion U.S. dollars after a decade of war.
    Cyber warfare and unmanned drones would continue to grow in priority, as would countering attempts by China and Iran to block U.S. power projection capabilities in areas like the South China Sea and the Strait of Hormuz.
    Campbell said Japan's concern on its imports of Iranian crude oil was among the issues he discussed with Japanese officials.
    "We understand some of the difficulties this raises for Japan and other partners, but I think we all share and are interested in making sure that Iran is dissuaded from steps that leads toward unacceptable nuclear options," Campbell said.
    Japan would consider cutbacks in its Iranian oil purchases to secure a waiver from new U.S. sanctions signed into law on New Year's Eve by Obama, a Japanese government source said recently.
    Campbell, the highest U.S. official to visit East Asia after the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il last month, is scheduled to leave Japan on Saturday (January 7).
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