Text Fwd: [ap-nobases] Gates Arrives in Vietnam for Bilateral Meetings, Conference

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, left, is greeted by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung at the prime minister's office in Hanoi, Vietnam, Oct. 11, 2010. DOD photo by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jerry Morrison

* Text sent from Corazon Valdez Fabros on Oct. 11, 2010

Dept. of the Defense, United States
Gates Arrives in Vietnam for Bilateral Meetings, Conference
By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service

HANOI, Vietnam, Oct. 10, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates arrived here today to meet individually with Vietnamese leaders and some of his counterparts in the region and to participate in the first "plus" conference of defense ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

During his visit, Gates also will speak at Vietnam National University.

Vietnamese Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Phung Quang Thanh invited Gates to the inaugural ASEAN Plus conference in June while both were attending the annual "Shangri-La Dialogue" regional security conference in Singapore.

Gates will have bilateral meetings tomorrow with his counterparts from Vietnam, Japan, the Philippines and China. He'll also meet informally with Australian Defense Minister Stephen F. Smith.

The meeting with Gen. Liang Guanglie – one of three Gates counterparts in the Chinese military structure -- marks a breakthrough in the military-to-military relationship between the two powers, which China put on hold early this year over U.S. military sales to Taiwan and other issues.

"We look forward to what we hope will be a very constructive discussion that will help us to move forward as we work to re-establish a stable and reliable military-to-military relationship between the United States and China," a senior defense official told reporters traveling with Gates.

Gates has said on numerous occasions that such a relationship and an ongoing military security dialogue are in both countries' best interests, the official added.

The secretary's meeting with Thanh and a subsequent meeting with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, another senior defense official said, will underscore the long-term U.S. commitment to a strong bilateral relationship with Vietnam, which he called "a very important country in the region."

"We hope that we will be able to advance our defense ties with Vietnam, and we hope to establish a broader set of more practical cooperation activities with the Vietnamese military and defense establishment," he said.

This will be the fourth meeting between Gates and Thanh over the last year and a half, the official noted, a period he said has been marked by considerable progress.

"This visit coming during the year of the 15th anniversary of normalization of relations [between the United States and Vietnam] is especially important," he said, "and also coming after the first-ever bilateral policy dialogue with the Vietnamese – where we talked about a range of global, regional and bilateral security issues – really does elevate the relationship to a new level in our bilateral ties."

The discussion between Gates and Thanh is expected to touch on continuing dialogues and building cooperation in such areas as peacekeeping, maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, the official said.

Gates' meeting with Philippine Defense Minister Voltaire Gazmin, the official said, will be a chance to discuss the two nations' longstanding alliance and ways to continue and expand cooperation. Topics also may include terrorism in the southern Philippines, defense reform, maritime security and other regional security issues, he added.

The informal meeting with Smith – who had been Australia's foreign minister when the two men last met and has been on the job as defense minister for about two months – will give Gates a brief opportunity to touch base on important issues affecting the two nations, the official said.

"Obviously, Australia has a large commitment to Afghanistan," he said, adding that the two defense leaders probably also will discuss details of upcoming ministerial meetings in Australia.

Noting the "strength and vitality" of the alliance between the United States and Japan, a senior official said the bilateral meeting between Gates and Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa will reflect Japan's role as a cornerstone of U.S. security policy in the region as the defense leaders discuss areas of mutual interest, including North Korea's effect on regional security.

Gates has made a point, both publicly and privately, of characterizing the inaugural ASEAN Plus conference as "an incredibly valuable forum," and has been looking forward to attending, the official told reporters. ASEAN's defense ministers decided last year to involve their counterparts from other key nations in "a broader regional dialogue to build patterns of cooperation, mutual trust and respect, and really get to some concrete cooperative activities building everybody's ability to deal with regional security issues," he said.

"We're hoping to get a lot of good discussion on the range of regional security issues, broaden communication among all of these key nations, and try to figure out how we can build multilateral capacity to address some of these big challenges," he added.

Related Sites:
State Department Background Note on Vietnam
Association of Southeast Asian Nations

Text fwd: Gates Describes U.S. Approach to Deterrence in Asia

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates gives speaks at the 9th International Institute for Strategic Studies, The Shangri-La Dialogue, in Singapore, June 5, 2010. DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jerry Morrison
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

* Text informed by Corazon Valdez Fabros on June 5, 2010

United States Department of Defense on June 5, 2010

Gates Describes U.S. Approach to Deterrence in Asia

By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service

SINGAPORE, June 5, 2010 – A U.S. defense posture in Asia that is more geographically distributed, operationally resilient and politically sustainable is necessary in deterring conflict in today’s world, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.

Gates addressed the first plenary session of the ninth annual “Shangri-La Dialogue,” an Asia security summit organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Conventional military bases, Gates said, are not the sole yardstick for measuring the U.S. presence in the region and its associated impact and influence. “Rather,” he said, “we must think about U.S. ‘presence’ in the broader sense of what we achieve in the region: the connections made, the results accomplished.”

This, he explained, includes the work of medical teams and engineers, as well as partner militaries that are more professional and capable of contributing to international efforts to deal with the most vexing challenges the United States and its Asian partners face.

“These kinds of activities reflect a priority of the overall United States security strategy: to prevent and deter conflict by better [employing] and integrating all elements of our national power and international cooperation,” the secretary said. “As we have learned, military capabilities are critically important, but by themselves, [they] do not deter conflict. Sustained diplomatic, economic and cultural ties also play vital roles in maintaining stability and improving relationships.

“The history of the past 60 years in this part of the world,” he continued, “has proven that historic tensions can be overcome, instability can be avoided, and strategic rivalries are not inevitable.”

The U.S. approach to its policy in Asia and its overall defense posture has been shaped by a series of strategy reviews over the past year, Gates said. “These reviews were shaped by a bracing dose of realism, and in a very sober and clear-eyed way assessed risks, set priorities, made tradeoffs, and identified requirements based on plausible real-world threats, scenarios and potential adversaries.”

An effective and affordable U.S. defense posture, the secretary explained, requires a broad and versatile portfolio of military capabilities across the widest possible spectrum of conflict. With regard to Asia, he said, the United States is increasing its deterrent capabilities in the region.

“First, we are taking serious steps to enhance our missile defenses with the intent to develop capabilities in Asia that are flexible and deployable – tailored to the unique needs of our allies and partners and able to counter the clear and growing ballistic missile threats in the region,” he said.

The United States is renewing its commitment to a strong and effective deterrence that guarantees the safety of the American people and the defense of its allies and partners, Gates said. President Barack Obama is committed to reducing the role of nuclear weapons in the quest for a world without them, he noted. “But as long as these weapons exist,” he added, “we will maintain a safe, secure and effective nuclear arsenal.”

The forward presence of substantial U.S. forces is another example of the strong U.S. commitment and deterrent power in the region, as has been the case for six decades, Gates said, though a global posture review scheduled to be completed by the year’s end already has made one general trend clear.

“The U.S. defense posture in Asia is shifting to one that is more geographically distributed, operationally resilient and politically sustainable,” he said. “The buildup on Guam is part of this shift, as well as the agreement reached on basing with Japan – an agreement that fittingly comes during the 50th anniversary of our mutual security alliance and transcends any individual policymaker.” Plans call for more than 8,000 U.S. Marines to move to Guam from the Japanese island of Okinawa by 2014, and for a U.S. Marine air base on Okinawa to relocate on the island.

Gates noted that the economic growth and political development the Asia-Pacific region has enjoyed over the last several decades was not a foregone conclusion.

“Rather,” he said, “it was enabled by clear choices about the enduring principles that we all believe are essential to peace, prosperity and stability.” Those principles, he said, include:

-- Free and open commerce;

-- A just international order that emphasizes rights and responsibilities of nations and fidelity to the rule of law;

-- Open access by all to the global commons of sea, air, space, and now, cyberspace; and

-- The principle of resolving conflict without the use of force.

“Simply put,” he said, “pursuing our common interests has increased our common security. Today, the Asia-Pacific region is contending with new and evolving challenges, from rising powers and failing states to the proliferation of nuclear and ballistic missiles, extremist violence and new technologies that have the ability to disrupt the foundations of trade and commerce on which Asia’s economic stability depends.”

Confronting those threats, he told the delegates, is not the responsibility of a single nation acting alone.

“Rather,” he said, “our collective response will test our commitments to the principles I just mentioned – principles that are key to the region’s continued prosperity. In this, all of us have responsibilities we must fulfill, since all will bear the costs of instability as well as the rewards of international cooperation.”

Biographies:
Robert M. Gates

Related Sites:
Special Report: Travels With Gates
Shangri-La Dialogue

Text Fwd: Seoul to seek support at Asian security summit

Korea Times
Seoul to seek support at Asian security summit
06-03-2010

Replica of sunken patrol ship: Defense Minister Kim Tae-young, on the rostrum, delivers a speech at the opening of a security-themed section of the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan, Seoul, Thursday. The section includes a life-size replica of the patrol ship “Chamsuri-357,” seen in the background, which sank in 2002 during a naval skirmish against North Korea. / Korea Times By Jung Sung-ki Staff reporter President Lee Myung-bak begins a two-day trip to Singapore today to attend a regional security summit, better known as the Shangri-La Dialogue. Defense Minister Kim Tae-young embarked on a three-day trip to Singapore Thursday to attend the conference, amid full-fledged efforts to seek support from the international community over the sinking of the Navy ship Cheonan in March. President Lee will hold a summit Saturday with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and give a keynote speech at the 9th Asia Security Summit on Korea's commitment to regional peace and security, and economic growth, Cheong Wa Dae said. "The speech will focus on the country's rise from the devastation of the 1950-1953 Korean War and the goal to assume a greater role in the international community," the office said. The security forum, inaugurated in 2002, will draw defense ministers of 28 countries, including the United States, China and Japan. The event is organized by the London-based think tank, the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Minister Kim plans to hold bilateral talks with his counterparts from the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, Australia and other nations on the sidelines of the meeting. "Minister Kim will deliver a speech titled 'Asia-Pacific Security and Partnerships' and ask for support from regional allies over the Cheonan issue," the ministry said in a news release. The security summit will, in particular, help explain the background of the sinking of the warship and solicit support from the international community, it added. A multinational investigation team concluded last month that North Korea was behind the sinking of the 1,200-ton Cheonan in waters near the disputed inter-Korean sea border. North Korea has denied the allegation, threatening to cut all ties with South Korea. Seoul announced a set of steps in retaliation, including the resumption of psychological warfare programs and the staging of massive naval exercises with the U.S. Navy.

gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr

Text Fwd: [ap-nobases] Gates Outlines Administration's Asia Security Strategy

* Text informed by Corazon Valdez Fabros on May 31, 2009
* Image source/ description as the site below*

'Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates delivers his keynote speech at the “Shangri-La Dialogue” Asia security conference in Singapore, May 30, 2009. DoD photo by Air Force Master Sgt. Jerry Morrison '

Gates Outlines Administration’s Asia Security Strategy
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

SINGAPORE, May 30, 2009 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates opened the “Shangri-La Dialogue” Asia security summit here today outlining a broad set of regional security issues and promising continued support from the U.S. administration.

The annual conference gathers defense, senior military and other officials from across the region to discuss mutual security challenges.

“America has paid a significant price in blood and treasure to fight aggression, deter potential adversaries, extend freedom, and maintain peace and prosperity in this part of the world,” Gates said. “Our commitment to the region is just as strong today as it has ever been, if not stronger, since our own prosperity is increasingly linked with yours.”

Gates said the challenge now is to fashion defense policies that adapt to the new realities of the region. He cited the long-standing treaties with Japan and South Korea, both formed in the early years of the Cold War “when both nations were impoverished and virtually destroyed.” Now, Gates said, the countries are economic powerhouses with modern, well-trained and well-equipped military forces.

“They are more willing and able to take responsibility for their own defense and assume responsibility for security beyond their shores,” Gates said.

As a result, the United States is making adjustments in its policies to maintain a posture that is more like that of a partner, Gates said. South Korea will take the lead role in its own defense in 2012. The U.S. military presence in the Pacific is growing, Gates added, noting increased relationships with India and China.

The secretary said the changes represent a shift in the defense strategy in the region, placing more emphasis on building the capacity of its allies and less on solely conventional military deterrence. The shift will represent a more balanced mix of “soft” and “hard” power, he added, with military, diplomatic, economic and humanitarian elements integrated seamlessly.

“It is an approach intended to further strengthen and deepen security in the Pacific Rim through maintaining our robust military presence, but also through strengthened and deepened partnerships,” Gates said.

The secretary noted the unity in the global responses to the economic crisis, the threat of a pandemic flu and piracy. Despite occasional differences of opinion, he said, nations overall have come together to develop unified responses.

Gates said that stronger relationships among countries in the region are the key to facing security challenges such as piracy, weapons proliferation and terrorism, and that the U.S. administration promises a more collaborative and consultative foreign policy.

“What these challenges all have in common is that they simply cannot be overcome by one, or even two countries, no matter how wealthy and powerful,” Gates said. “While the United States has unparalleled capabilities, we also recognize that the best solutions require multiple nations acting with uncommon unity.”

Biographies:
Robert M. Gates

Related Sites:
Speech Transcript
The Shangri-La Dialogue

Related Articles:
Gates Calls North Korea’s Actions ‘Reckless, Ultimately Self-destructive’
Gates Downplays Rhetoric on North Korea

* Speech by Lee Sang Hee, Minister of National Defense, Republic of Korea, 'Building an Asia-Pacific Security Community: The Korean Perspective.’