U.S. Arms Sales To Asia Set To Boom

Analysis: U.S. Arms Sales To Asia Set To Boom On Pacific "Pivot" -- Jim Wolf, Reuters

U.S. sales of warplanes, anti-missile systems and other costly weapons to China's and North Korea's neighbors appear set for significant growth amid regional security jitters.

Strengthening treaty allies and other security partners is central to the White House's "pivot" toward a Pacific region jolted by maritime territorial disputes in China's case, and missile and nuclear programs, in North Korea's.

The pivot "will result in growing opportunities for our industry to help equip our friends," said Fred Downey, vice president for national security at the Aerospace Industries Association, a trade group that includes top U.S. arms makers.

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My Comment: It has always been like this .... when the U.S. defense budget is cut, time to look for markets overseas. Fortunately for America's defense contractors .... China and North Korea are making it easy for them to sell their goods to South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Philippines, etc..

U.S. Does Not Want To Be Involved In Asian Territorial Disputes

(Sam Pepple / Sample Cartography)

US Wants Out Of Pacific Islands Mess -- Aol Defense

WASHINGTON: Wars have started over less. Even as the administration "rebalances" to Asia, it is scrambling to stay out of the region's escalating territorial disputes. None is more baffling to outsiders than the three-sided conflict over the tiny, uninhabited islands known in Japanese as the Senkakus and in Chinese as the Diaoyus or the Tiaoyutai.

And that dispute keeps escalating. Just this morning, China's Xinhua news service announced four warships of the rapidly growing PLA Navy had "patrolled" the waters off the Japanese-controlled isles, just the latest in a series of naval probes. On the U.S. side, the Senate passed an annual defense bill that included a (non-binding) "Sense of the Senate" amendment from Virginia's James Webb pledging the US will stand by its treaty commitments to defend "territories under the administration of Japan," explicitly including the Senkakus, against "armed attack."

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My Comment: It is obvious that the U.S. is going out of it's way to not confront or antagonize China. Unfortunately .... sensing this policy shift in Washington .... China is now doubling down on threatening and asserting their claims of sovereignty on these disputed islands. And for our allies .... they are probably now questioning U.S. resolve and commitments to support them in this time of need. What's my take .... do not get involve in Asian disputes unless they impact us directly.

U.S. Is Denied Entry Into Asia's Newest Economic Bloc

Asian, European and US exports

Post-US World Born In Phnom Penh -- Spengler, Asia Times

It is symptomatic of the national condition of the United States that the worst humiliation ever suffered by it as a nation, and by a US president personally, passed almost without comment last week. I refer to the November 20 announcement at a summit meeting in Phnom Penh that 15 Asian nations, comprising half the world's population, would form a Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership excluding the United States.

President Barack Obama attended the summit to sell a US-based Trans-Pacific Partnership excluding China. He didn't. The American led-partnership became a party to which no-one came.

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My Comment: I concur .... there was no U.S. coverage on this news story, instead .... the U.S. media's focus instead was on Asia's territorial disputes and America's "Asia-pivot".