US calls on Asian states to work closely on security threat
US Defence Secretary Robert Gates called Friday on Asian states to work more closely together on security issues and not to depend only on the United States to ensure regional stability.
Gates said that US moves to reduce its military presence in South Korea and Japan did not signal a declining US commitment to the region.
"The repositioning of our forces is really a reflection of the maturing of our alliance relationships here in Asia, and specifically with Japan and the Republic of Korea, and does not in any way represent a lessening of our commitment to either," he said.
In a speech and question and answer session, Gates said Japan should play a bigger role in international security.
"Japan has an opportunity -- and an obligation -- to take on a role that reflects its political, economic, and military capacity," he said. "That is why the US strongly supports Japan's becoming a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council."
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