PACOM Commander Briefs at Foreign Press Center

The state of military relations between the U.S. and China was the primary topic of discussion July 28 when Adm. Timothy J. Keating spoke with a group of more than 30 international reporters at the Foreign Press Center in Washington D.C.

Adm. Keating, PACOM’s commander, emphasized the importance of the renewal of a dialogue between U.S. and Chinese military officials, which will happen within the next several months during an upcoming Military Maritime Consultative Agreement (MMCA) session. The MMCA is a forum designed for talks aimed at promoting safety in naval and air operations.

An American Forces Press Service story highlights Adm. Keating’s comments, including his hope that the military relationship with China will extend to include humanitarian and disaster relief exercise, personnel exchanges, information-sharing on counterterrorism techniques and procedures, and observation of bilateral and multilateral exercises.

Adm. Keating also fielded questions on several other topics, including the state of the U.S. alliance with Japan, which he said “…remains powerful, vibrant and at the centerpiece of all our strategies in the Asia-Pacific region.”

The Admiral opened his briefing with a review of the PACOM Strategy and its tenets of partnership, readiness and presence, and once again held up Pacific Partnership as an example of the application of the strategy.

View video coverage of the 25-minute exchange here on the blog, on the PACOM website, or on the Pentagon Channel.

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PACOM Commander Briefs Pentagon Press Corps

Adm. Timothy J. Keating, commander of U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM), discussed the PACOM Strategy and current Asia-Pacific security topics July 22 during a Department of Defense news briefing at the Pentagon.

Drawing on a number of ongoing activities in the PACOM area of responsibility, Adm. Keating emphasized the PACOM Strategy’s tenets of partnership, readiness and presence. Operations such as Pacific Partnership and the ongoing bilateral exercise Talisman Saber with ally Australia were shared as examples of U.S. commitment to the region, not only on bilateral military-to-military levels, but on a multilateral, multi-agency basis as well.

During a question and answer period, Adm. Keating addressed a number of topics. He expressed his hope for more frequent and robust dialog with the Chinese military, as well as hope that diplomatic efforts will result in North Korea’s return to the Six-Party Talks while noting that PACOM keeps a watchful eye on the situation.

View the entire news briefing here on the blog, or on the Pentagon Channel website.

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Adm. Keating Talks Strategy With Atlantic Council

Adm. Timothy J. Keating, commander of U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM), discussed the PACOM Strategy and current Asia-Pacific security successes and challenges in Washington, D.C. June 29 during an event hosted by Atlantic Council.

The discussion was moderated by former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Walter B. Slocombe and concluded with a question and answer session.

The PACOM Strategy is a forward looking plan based on the three tenets of partnership, readiness and presence, Adm. Keating explained. The strategy provides a simple, but not easy, framework for ensuring peace and stability in the region, he noted, by enhancing U.S. relationships and the capability of our allies and regional partners.

Adm. Keating praised the strong and enduring bilateral relationships that exist in the region while emphasizing and highlighting the importance of multilateral solutions to challenges.

The U.S. remains the reliable partner that can be depended upon in times of good or bad to ensure economic stability, Adm. Keating said.

C-SPAN televised the discussion and the video is available on the C-SPAN website.

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Adm. Keating Discusses Goals, Benefits of PACOM Strategy

In a recent interview with the American Forces Press Service, Adm. Timothy J. Keating, PACOM’s commander, explained how PACOM’s Strategy is making a difference across the vast Pacific Command area of responsibility (AOR).

Built on the tenets of partnership, readiness and presence, the strategy is a long-term plan for ensuring the command honors its U.S. commitments, and underscores the fundamental importance of sustained and persistent cooperation and collaboration.

“We’ve got big countries and we’ve got small countries [within the AOR],” Adm. Keating said during the interview. “And as we travel and talk and watch and work with the folks of Tonga through Mongolia to India and everybody in between, we are seeing firsthand that they are all interested” in working together toward common goals.”

He draws on numerous examples, such as the recently completed Malabar naval exercise that included India, Japan and the U.S., to explain how the strategy is working to build bonds, regional capacity, and ultimately “defend the homeland and prevail in the struggle against violent extremism.”

Adm. Keating said he is convinced the strategy is working, noting the relative peace in the region.“In a way, it’s what hasn’t happened,” he said. “Some of that is good fortune. But a lot of it is due to a concerted effort by a lot of people, including those at Pacific Command.”

The PACOM Strategy is available for viewing and download at http://www.pacom.mil/.

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PACOM Commander Highlights U.S.-India Relations

During his visit to India this week, Adm. Timothy J. Keating, commander of U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM), highlighted the cooperation between the U.S. and Indian militaries in an editorial for the India Express.

This editorial attributes the mutually and regionally beneficial relationship to direct coordination between PACOM and Indian forces and notes how this ongoing partnership, which supports the PACOM strategy, can continue to grow with future engagements.

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PACOM Commander Briefs at Foreign Press Center in Washington, D.C.

Adm. Timothy J. Keating, the commander of U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM), highlighted key points of the PACOM Strategy and took questions from reporters representing a number of Asia-Pacific nations, and others, at the Foreign Press Center in Washington, D.C. Dec. 18.

The Admiral was in Washington, D.C. in the midst of a trip to the U.S. East Coast that included a series of meetings and updates.

During his opening remarks at the Foreign Press Center, Adm. Keating highlighted three important points at the centerpiece of the strategy – partnership, presence, and military readiness.

The Admiral noted it is important everyone in the PACOM area of responsibility (AOR) understand the U.S. military is committed to security, stability, and prosperity throughout the region, which covers over half of the earth’s surface. He also noted the U.S. military is going to remain present and engaged throughout the AOR and that we will be there in the years ahead, as we have been there for decades in the past. He emphasized that it is important that our friends and allies remain confident and comfortable in our ability to respond across the entire spectrum of operations, should the need arise.

The Admiral then responded to questions from the media on a broad range of topics related to the PACOM AOR. Topics included China’s announcement of possible deployments of its navy ships to the coast of Somalia as part of an ongoing international effort to counter piracy, India’s reaction in the aftermath of the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai, and the health of North Korea’s leader.

The Admiral expressed optimism that China’s possible deployment to support anti-piracy efforts in waters off Somalia could potentially be used as a springboard for the resumption of dialogue and other military-to-military engagement between the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and U.S. Pacific Command.

Adm. Keating also noted that he was encouraged by the progress being made between China and Taiwan in reducing tensions across the Taiwan Strait through the recent cross Strait agreements.

The transcript of the event, from the Foreign Press Center, a Defenselink story, and the video, courtesy of the Pentagon Channel are provided for your interest.

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Correcting the Record -- The Straits Times Dec. 12 article with Adm. Keating

The Straits Times (Singapore) recently published and posted an article to their online subscription news service as a result of an interview they conducted with Adm. Timothy J. Keating, who is the commander of U.S. Pacific Command, regarding the potential for a naval arms race in Asia-Pacific.

Overall, the reporter outlines why he does not envision a naval arms race in Asia-Pacific, citing several sources.

It is an interesting read with one comment from Adm. Keating unfortunately being misplaced. The reporter inadvertently placed a quote by Adm. Keating in the incorrect context leading readers to believe that U.S. Pacific Command views China as a definite threat, which is not the case.

The reporter has acknowledged this unfortunate mistake and noted that he meant to write that the admiral did not think China would pose a threat.

The correct question and context of this particular exchange is below:

Straits Times: "I want to cite your national maritime strategy that came out last year where you talked about deterrence and you were talking about you will not permit conditions under which the maritime process will be impeded from freedom of maneuver and freedom of access. Now it is speculated that the Chinese are trying to deny kind of access to the Taiwan Strait for example. Do you think you have the capability to actually counter any Chinese power projection in that area?"

ADM Keating: "I don’t think it, I know it."

Media: “Do you think they are actually trying to deny you access?”

ADM Keating: “I think they are pursuing development of systems that could be used to attempt to deny us. Our conversations with them say don’t bother, you’re not going to be able to. You might make it painful; you won’t prevail, so why bother? Why not engage in the spirit of cooperation and collaboration with all of us and enjoy access to the maritime domains by contributing to the security of the domains, not by challenging the security of the domains."

Adm. Keating also discussed the importance of engagement with China and throughout the region as the best approach for helping to ensure security, stability and prosperity. U.S Pacific Command continues to stress the importance of a collaborative approach to security through partnership.

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