Reuters: U.S. to Boost Naval, Air Presence in Asia-Pacific

"The United States plans to put "substantially" more ships and warplanes in Asia and the Pacific, even as it pulls troops out of South Korea (news - web sites), a top Pentagon (news - web sites) official told Congress on Wednesday.
The build-up of armaments is part of the broadest repositioning of U.S. forces worldwide since the end of the Korean War more than 50 years ago.
In Asia, the moves are intended to boost the U.S. ability to meet commitments on the divided Korean peninsula and elsewhere in the region, despite any permanent cut of troop numbers on the ground, Douglas Feith, under secretary of defense for policy, told the House Armed Services Committee.
"We are not focused on maintaining numbers of troops overseas," Feith said. "Instead, we are focused on increasing the capabilities of our forces and those of our friends."
The Pentagon is concerned about China's rapid military modernization and its threat to use force against Taiwan if the self-governing island moves toward formal independence.
North Korea (news - web sites)'s nuclear program is another big U.S. concern."