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.