US Commander says Asian war games not aimed at China

INDIA: A top US military commander said on Thursday increased military cooperation with Asian powers was not aimed at Beijing, days after he expressed concern about China’s rapid military build-up.

The remarks came ahead of joint exercises between Australia, India, Japan, Singapore and the United States set to take place in the Bay of Bengal in early September.

“You could connect the dots geographically,” Admiral Timothy J. Keating, head of the US Pacific Command told reporters in New Delhi. “But there’s no effort on the part of the US or on the part of any of these other countries to isolate China.”

“Quite the contrary. We’re looking to embrace China to the extent that we should and can and want to, and to the extent that they want to.”

New Delhi, Friday, AFP