NHK World English | Jun. 3, 2012 - Updated 01:57 UTC (10:57 JST)
Countries involved in territorial disputes with China have expressed support for the US military plan to deploy
more Navy ships in the Asia-Pacific region. But the new US defense strategy drew a different reaction from China.
US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said at a defense conference in Singapore on Saturday that the United States will
assign 60 percent of its Navy ships to the Asia-Pacific region by 2020 in the face of China's military buildup and
maritime ambitions.
In an interview with NHK, Philippine Defense Minister Voltaire Gazmin welcomed the US plan to increase its presence in
the region.
He expressed appreciation for Panetta's remarks on the US commitment to its alliance with the Philippines.
The Philippines now faces a deepening territorial dispute with China over claims to Scarborough Shoal in the South
China Sea.
One Chinese delegate, who is the head of a state-run research institute, told reporters that China and some other
countries are concerned about the US shift in defense strategy to the Asia-Pacific region.
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/F0qKOFnc8GY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Countries involved in territorial disputes with China have expressed support for the US military plan to deploy
more Navy ships in the Asia-Pacific region. But the new US defense strategy drew a different reaction from China.
US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said at a defense conference in Singapore on Saturday that the United States will
assign 60 percent of its Navy ships to the Asia-Pacific region by 2020 in the face of China's military buildup and
maritime ambitions.
In an interview with NHK, Philippine Defense Minister Voltaire Gazmin welcomed the US plan to increase its presence in
the region.
He expressed appreciation for Panetta's remarks on the US commitment to its alliance with the Philippines.
The Philippines now faces a deepening territorial dispute with China over claims to Scarborough Shoal in the South
China Sea.
One Chinese delegate, who is the head of a state-run research institute, told reporters that China and some other
countries are concerned about the US shift in defense strategy to the Asia-Pacific region.
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/F0qKOFnc8GY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
