US commander says Asian war games not aimed at China

NEW DELHI (AFP) - A top US military commander said yesterday increased military cooperation with Asian powers was not aimed at Beijing, days after he expressed concern about China's rapid military build-up.

The remarks came ahead of joint exercises between Australia, India, Japan, Singapore and the United States set to take place in the Bay of Bengal in early September.

"You could connect the dots geographically," Admiral Timothy J. Keating, head of the US Pacific Command told reporters in New Delhi. "But there's no effort on the part of the US or on the part of any of these other countries to isolate China."

"Quite the contrary. We're looking to embrace China to the extent that we should and can and want to, and to the extent that they want to."

But just days earlier Keating expressed concern about China's military build-up after a display of Beijing's firepower in war games with Russia.

"China professes to be advocating a peaceful rise," said Keating on a visit to Cambodia on Tuesday.

"Some of the capabilities that they're demonstrating would indicate to us that perhaps their intentions aren't exactly beneficial to security."

September's naval exercises will see the participation of 25 warships from the five countries, including two nuclear-powered aircraft carriers from the United States.