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