U.S. military in Asia urged

U.S. military in Asia urged

SINGAPORE (AP): U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen said
Saturday that the U.S. military presence in Asia has a beneficial
effect on economies in the region, including China's.

"I'm absolutely convinced that without a strong U.S. presence
in the region, there would be a competition among a number of
countries for a presence here," Cohen told reporters in
Singapore.

"That would certainly stir a kind of an arms race, which would
only inhibit the developments of economies in the region," he
said.

The United States maintains about 100,000 troops in the
Pacific, with many of them in Japan and on the island of Guam.

Cohen stopped in this prosperous city-state of 3.2 million
people as part of an Asian tour. He also met with Prime Minister
Goh Chok Tong, and discussed the crisis in the Indonesian
province of East Timor, which is headed for independence.

Cohen said he "tried to indicate to China" that a U.S.
presence in Asia is "benefiting all in the region, including
China."

"If China were to have to contend with other competitors for
some dominance or presence in the region, that would certainly
impact on their own modernization programs," he said.