Defense Secretary Tours Asia
Treading lightly on the hot coals of Asia’s financial meltdown, Defense Secretary William S. Cohen began a tour of the region Sunday to demonstrate that the United States remains an ally “in good times and bad.”
He said his aim in Asia is to shore up confidence.
About 100,000 U.S. troops are based in Asia, mostly in Japan and South Korea. In recent years, Southeast Asia has become a bigger buyer of U.S. weaponry, but the region’s economic crisis already is killing some arms deals, such as Malaysia’s plan to buy $500 million worth of U.S. helicopters.
Cohen made it plain he expects U.S. arms suppliers to show flexibility toward the region’s governments, saying that the Pentagon will explore with U.S. defense companies how to restructure contracts with Asian governments “to make sure their security needs are met and the programs continue.”
Cohen plans to visit Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, China, Japan and South Korea.
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