VOA Chinese, June 4, 2011
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/news/20110604-Gates-Asia-123157588.html
("*盖茨：美国将扩大在亚太地区的军事介入* 盖茨在讲话中表示，美国计划在新加坡部署新的战舰，方便近海操作，并在研究一项中期的海空战争计划。他说，这项计划的目的是加强和扩张美军的力量，超越日本和韩国的范围，将东南亚和印度洋纳入美军活动的范围之内")
Note: Remarks by Secretary Gates at the Shangri-La Dialogue, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Singapore. US Department of Defense, June 4, 2011.
http://www.defense.gov/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=4831
Quote:
"A posture that maintains our presence in Northeast Asia while enhancing our presence in Southeast Asia and into the Indian Ocean. For example, this past November, the U.S. and Australia established a force posture working group tasked with expanding opportunities for our two militaries to train and operate together – to include alliance arrangements that would allow for more combined defense activities and shared use of facilities. * * * In Singapore, we are strengthening our bi-lateral defense relationship within the context of the Strategic Framework Agreement and pursuing more operational engagement – most notably, by deploying U.S. Littoral Combat Ships to Singapore.
"The U.S. Navy and Air Force have been concerned about anti-access and area denial scenarios for some time. These two military services are working together to develop a new concept of operations – called “Air-Sea Battle” – to ensure that America’s military will continue to be able to deploy, move, and strike over great distances in defense of our allies and vital interests.
"Now, I acknowledge that there are still some myopic souls who will argue that we cannot sustain our role in Asia-Pacific. That there are some voices of gloom and doom who would also argue that the best days of the United States are behind it. No doubt the challenges America faces as a nation are daunting. But as I end my career in government, I remain completely optimistic about the prospects of the United States because I have seen first-hand the staying power and adaptability of America over the course of my life. Indeed, history’s dustbin is littered with dictators and aggressors who underestimated America’s resilience, will, and underlying power.
--------------------------Separately
(1) Chinese Sailors Believe Bigger Is Better. Strategy Page, June 4, 2011
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htmoral/articles/20110604.aspx
(bigger Navy ensign)
(2) 应否担心台湾退役将领访中泄密? VOA Chinese, June 2, 2011
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/news/20110602-CROSS-STRAIT-MILITARY-123017948.html
Note: The report cites
Russell Flannery, Stephen Yates On Taiwan’s Presidential Election, U.S. Arms Sales. Forbes, May 24, 2011 (blog).
http://blogs.forbes.com/russellflannery/2011/05/24/stephen-yates-on-taiwans-presidential-election-u-s-arms-sales/
Quote:
"Q. There were reports that Taiwan’s defense or intelligence community has been compromised by China and this is having some bearing on U.S. thinking about arms sales to Taiwan. Can you comment on that? To what extent is that true?
"A. Well, it’s of course exceedingly difficult to do an accurate survey of the people in our intelligence and defense establishments who have real authority to make policy decisions on this area. But there’s no question that whether it’s in Congress or in the chattering class of experts and in news coverage in Washington, this notion of Taiwan’s intelligence and defense establishments being compromised by China is poisonous. It’s poisonous in terms of Americans feeling like it’s not worth taking a risk of alienating or challenging China by supporting Taiwan. I think it’s really horrible and treasonous, in some sense, (that) some retired generals that go to the mainland and spill their beans. That’s a violation of oaths that they took, and they should be punished vigorously for that kind of behavior.