Panetta's Asia-Pacific trip aids strategic pivot
<p><span word="Download">Download</span></p><p><span word="US">US</span> <span word="Defense">Defense</span> <span word="Secretary">Secretary</span> <span word="Leon">Leon</span> <span word="Panetta">Panetta</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="weeklong">weeklong</span> <span word="visit">visit</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Asia">Asia</span>-<span word="Pacific">Pacific</span> <span word="region">region</span> <span word="helped">helped</span> <span word="boost">boost</span> <span word="Washington">Washington</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="partners">partners</span>' <span word="military">military</span> <span word="capabilities">capabilities</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="part">part</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="strategic">strategic</span> <span word="pivot">pivot</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Asia">Asia</span>-<span word="Pacific">Pacific</span>, <span word="analysts">analysts</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="trip">trip</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="concluded">concluded</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Saturday">Saturday</span>, <span word="took">took</span> <span word="Panetta">Panetta</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Japan">Japan</span>, <span word="China">China</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="Zealand">Zealand</span>.</p><p><span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="visit">visit</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="third">third</span> <span word="trip">trip</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Asia">Asia</span> <span word="since">since</span> <span word="taking">taking</span> <span word="office">office</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="July">July</span> 2011. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="became">became</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="Pentagon">Pentagon</span> <span word="chief">chief</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="visit">visit</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="Zealand">Zealand</span> <span word="since">since</span> 1982.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="recent">recent</span> <span word="spate">spate</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="visits">visits</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="senior">senior</span> <span word="Washington">Washington</span> <span word="officials">officials</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Asia">Asia</span>-<span word="Pacific">Pacific</span>, <span word="including">including</span> <span word="Panetta">Panetta</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Secretary">Secretary</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="State">State</span> <span word="Hillary">Hillary</span> <span word="Clinton">Clinton</span>, <span word="underlined">underlined</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="growing">growing</span> <span word="attention">attention</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="US">US</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="paying">paying</span> <span word="toward">toward</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="region">region</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="pulls">pulls</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Middle">Middle</span> <span word="East">East</span>, <span word="said">said</span> <span word="analysts">analysts</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="Beijing">Beijing</span>, <span word="Panetta">Panetta</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="States">States</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="play">play</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="constructive">constructive</span> <span word="role">role</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Asia">Asia</span>-<span word="Pacific">Pacific</span> <span word="region">region</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="strengthening">strengthening</span> <span word="cooperation">cooperation</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="helping">helping</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="countries">countries</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="build">build</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="defense">defense</span> <span word="capability">capability</span>, <span word="instead">instead</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="establishing">establishing</span> <span word="military">military</span> <span word="bases">bases</span>.</p><p><span word="During">During</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="visit">visit</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Japan">Japan</span>, <span word="Tokyo">Tokyo</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Washington">Washington</span> <span word="agreed">agreed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="install">install</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="second">second</span> <span word="missile">missile</span>-<span word="defense">defense</span> <span word="radar">radar</span> <span word="system">system</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="MV">MV</span>-22 <span word="Osprey">Osprey</span> <span word="military">military</span> <span word="aircraft">aircraft</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="given">given</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="go">go</span>-<span word="ahead">ahead</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="begin">begin</span> <span word="flight">flight</span> <span word="operations">operations</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Japan">Japan</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Wednesday">Wednesday</span>.</p><p><span word="Panetta">Panetta</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="calls">calls</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="improved">improved</span> <span word="military">military</span> <span word="ties">ties</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="cooperation">cooperation</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="Zealand">Zealand</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="welcomed">welcomed</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="concern">concern</span> <span word="remains">remains</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="shift">shift</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="strategic">strategic</span> <span word="focus">focus</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="region">region</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="Beijing">Beijing</span>, <span word="Panetta">Panetta</span> <span word="conducted">conducted</span> "<span word="candid">candid</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="frank">frank</span> <span word="discussions">discussions</span>" <span word="with">with</span> <span word="several">several</span> <span word="senior">senior</span> <span word="officials">officials</span>, <span word="including">including</span> <span word="Vice">Vice</span>-<span word="President">President</span> <span word="Xi">Xi</span> <span word="Jinping">Jinping</span>.</p>
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