Asia-Pacific as the largest U.S. arms customers an excuse to sell weapons, China threat
major U.S. arms sales to the introduction of a single, once again shows that the U.S. arms exports to the United States is becoming an important part of the Asia-Pacific strategy. In recent years, the U.S. Asia-Pacific region, particularly ASEAN countries increasing arms exports, and is trying to in some countries and regions and their weapons systems, military needs, "bundled" together, their strategic goals. The reporter interviewed several experts believe that within the next few years, with the geopolitical situation of increasing complexity, the ASEAN countries will continue to increase defense system upgrade, replacement of aging equipment, purchase of weapons from the United States will have a more substantial increase.
Asia-Pacific is the largest customer of U.S. weapons source
Sweden Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) data show that Asia Pacific is currently the largest customer of U.S. weapons sources, in U.S. arms exports in 2010, the Asia-Pacific region accounted for 39%. SIPRI's data also show that in recent years to increase military spending in Southeast Asia. Vietnam's military expenditure in 2010 increased by more than 172.8 percent in 2005, an increase of 106% in Indonesia, Thailand, an increase of 96.7%.
Southeast Asia, the United States has as its major arms sales expansion area. According to SIPRI arms trade used to calculate the change in the number of statistical methods, Singapore, the import of weapons from the United States costs from $ 25 million in 2008 surged to $ 814 million in 2009, decreased slightly in 2010 $ 719 million. 2009 to 2010, Singapore purchased weapons from the United States accounted for U.S. weapons were 10 percent of the total export volume, import weapons from the United States in Southeast Asia than any other country, followed by Thailand and Malaysia, accounting for 0.4% and 0.1%.
Indonesia's recent plans to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to buy fighter and transport aircraft from the United States. "Jakarta Post" reported that the U.S. commitment to enhance the level of modernization of the armed forces of Indonesia, in 2010 and 2011 were $ 15.7 million grant aid and $ 20 million.
the Philippines in recent years, accelerated the pace of buying U.S. warships. In August, the Philippines, to $ 10.38 million to buy the one hand the United States arrived in the Philippines Hamilton-class patrol vessels, will be deployed in the South China Sea. Shortly afterward, the Philippine military also announced that next year the second ship from the United States to buy Hamilton-class patrol boats to enhance the Philippine Navy patrol capabilities.
ASEAN at present continuously strengthen cooperation in the military and military enterprises, has become the United States to expand its arms sales to the region an important factor. U.S. Pacific Command spokesman in a recent interview published in Japan, "Foreign scholars" magazine interview, said that ASEAN for regional defense industry cooperation, and to the United States to expand its national interests in the Asia Pacific region, as this will contribute to a similar set new standards of NATO, ASEAN and the United States military equipment to enhance interoperability.
website published an article the magazine quoted a U.S. think tank "Center for Strategic and International Studies' international security program classes Arie cover researcher as saying that the U.S. and Western arms manufacturers in Southeast Asia and will consolidate their Indian arms market. Because they are increasingly unable to rely on "its own" within NATO or the market.
sales force has a more important political motives
National University of Singapore East Asian Institute, Senior Fellow Guoliang Ping told reporters that military procurement Southeast Asian countries has increased the size of the complex historical and practical reasons . First of all, Southeast Asia's ethnic, religious and territorial issues are very complex and diverse forms of conflict, full of all sorts of "no confidence" and from historical "disputes." Second, after the U.S. experienced a recession seems to have become "unreliable" and some Southeast Asian countries on the U.S. ability to continue to bear the obligation to their defense has been suspect, so started to increase purchases of U.S. weapons. Thirdly, the so-called "China threat" effect, Southeast Asian countries have a certain sense of insecurity. Fourth, many islands in Southeast Asia, rapid economic development in recent years, increasing the amount of foreign trade, piracy has become increasingly prominent, the need to enhance military to ensure navigation safety.
SIPRI Arms Transfers Project Senior Fellow 西蒙维兹曼 told this reporter via e-mail, the United States active in the Asian market its "war industry", with "more important political motive." The United States needs to establish or maintain the alliance between countries in the region, and to "aid" or "sales" approach to some "friendly countries" to provide weapons to help them "anti-terrorism."
order to promote the sale of arms to the region, the United States apparently intends to play the "China threat" card. Wei Ziman said the U.S. aim is to provide weapons to the allies to counter threats from potential adversaries. United States to China as the most important potential adversaries, the United States to provide weapons to Japan, the Philippines, in part because they worry that China use military action in the disputed region. Moreover, there is the United States and its allies want to maintain the equipment between the armed forces consider the interests of standardization.
