U.S. Department of State

Australia represents the southern anchor of our Asia-Pacific alliance network. A high degree of interoperability between our forces is a hallmark of the U.S.-Australia alliance, demonstrated most recently in our mutual efforts to bring peace and stability to East Timor. A robust schedule of combined military exercises and training are concrete examples of our enduring commitment to Australia's security and to our interoperability goals. In addition to sharing and promoting regional and international security goals, the U.S. and Australia work closely to advance human rights, democracy, nonproliferation and other global issues. To help strengthen Australia's combat capabilities and readiness, the U.S. provided air combat training in FY 2000 and proposes to do so again in FY 2001.

The Royal Bruneian Armed Forces (RBAF) consist of infantry, navy, and air combat units made up of volunteers. They are aided by a British Armed Forces Ghurka battalion permanently stationed in Brunei near the center of the country's oil industry. Because of their country's small size, Bruneians regard a continued U.S. presence in the region as critical to their long-term security and prosperity. Since the signing of a November 1994 memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation, the RBAF have engaged in joint exercises, training programs, and other military exchanges with the U.S. The Asia-Pacific Center's executive courses will enable the USG to help Brunei train future leaders for its armed forces. In addition, they will increase Bruneian awareness and understanding of U.S. policies and facilitate lasting relationships between upcoming Bruneian military leaders and their counterparts from the U.S. and the Asia-Pacific region.

 CHINA

The United States seeks a strong, cooperative relationship with China, one that contributes to peace in Asia and elsewhere. We share common interests in a number of areas, such as the maintenance of stability in Asia permitting the continuation of that region's economic development, the maintenance of peace on the Korean Peninsula and in South Asia and nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

The U.S. considers dialogue with the PRC essential to ensure a clear understanding of one another's regional security interests and concerns and to help promote a constructive role by the PRC in the international community. We have differences with China, but dialogues allow us to work together where we agree and to make clear where we do not.

As one step in the renewal of a defense and security dialogue, the U.S. proposes the PRC's participation in the Asia-Pacific Center's executive courses in FY 2001, designed to focus on the non-warfighting aspects of security and international relations. PRC participation in these courses will be consistent with the guidelines set for in the Defense Authorization Act of 2000 and will entail participation by members of Chinese "think tanks."

COOK ISLANDS

As a means of strengthening defense ties with the Cook Islands, the U.S. would like to invite it to participate in the Asia-Pacific Center's executive courses, designed to focus on the non-warfighting aspects of security and international relations. The executive courses increase awareness and understanding of U.S. policies, which leads to increased trust, transparency and confidence. The courses also allow U.S. officers to build lasting relationships with their counterparts from the Cook Islands.

  FIJI

In 1999 and much of FY 2000, the US encouraged participation by the Fijian military in IMET courses and programs at the Asia-Pacific Center in an effort to bolster Fiji's return to democracy and restore defense ties. However, IMET and other security assistance were suspended in July 2000 after nationalist Fijians, including some in the military, held the Prime Minister and much of his Cabinet hostage in the Parliament building for 56 days. The military-appointed and backed interim civilian government (ICG) plans to reserve the positions of President and Prime Minister for indigenous Fijians, which will make it the only country in the world to use racial criteria to select its leaders. We do not believe US funds should be used to train members of the Fijian armed forces until democratic government is again restored. The ICG has announced that elections will not take place until March 2002, at the earliest.

Our E-IMET program and other normal military-military ties were suspended in 1999 because of human rights abuses in East Timor, by pro-Indonesia militias and elements of the Indonesia military (TNI). However, the E-IMET students attending courses at the time were allowed to complete their program using other funding sources. To allow for the possibility that the new Indonesian government will make sufficient progress in reform of the military to meet the conditions for resuming military assistance established by Section 589 of the Foreign Operations Export Financing and Related Programs Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2000, as contained in the Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2000, PL 106-113, we have provided for a resumption of IMET training in FY 2001.

Before suspension, the E-IMET program aimed at positively influencing (TNI's) professionalism and discipline and heightening the Indonesian military's awareness of principles of good civil-military relations and international human rights standards. Such assistance also recognized Indonesia's key role on regional security issues, and helps to ensure U.S. access to Indonesia's airspace and strategic sea-lanes. The E-IMET program thus focussed on training related to civil-military relations, legal issues in military and peace operations, including law of war. We had also included English language training essential to furthering mil-mil contacts.

Before suspension of E-IMET, Indonesia officers also used miscellaneous non-security assistance funding to participate in resource management, information technology and engineering science training, courses designed to increase professionalism of military officers in various disciplines and expose them to U.S. standards. These and mobile training team courses on interdiction planning and port security helped our effort to assure support from the Indonesia military and its ability to ensure U.S. access to sea lanes and provide secure port facilities. Indonesian officers also participated in training at the Asia-Pacific Center's executive courses, designed to focus on the non-warfighting aspects of security and international relations. The executive courses increase awareness and understanding of U.S. policies, which leads to increased trust, transparency and confidence. The courses also allow U.S. officers to build lasting relationships with their foreign counterparts.

Our security alliance with Japan is the linchpin of overall U.S. security policy in Asia. The alliance makes a fundamental and continuing contribution to the defense of Japan and to regional peace and stability. Our engagement with Japan in the Asia-Pacific region to promote mutual security extends beyond our military bases in Japan to encompass a comprehensive program of military-to-military contacts, combined training and exercises, and equipment interoperability. These efforts demonstrate our combined capabilities and resolve, improve readiness and promote burden sharing. Training contacts, whether in the field or in the classroom, also serve to foster and continually renew an understanding of the culture, values and habits of our most important Asian ally and vice versa.

As a means of maintaining the close defense ties outlined above, the U.S. welcomed Japanese participation in the Asia-Pacific Center's executive courses in FY 2000, designed to focus on the non-warfighting aspects of security and international relations, and in the U.S. Air Force Academy's semester exchange program. The U.S. proposes similar Japanese participation in Asia-Pacific Center courses in FY 2001.

To help strengthen Japan's combat capabilities and readiness, the U.S. provided training in FY 99/00 on an interoperable naval weapons system and proposes in FY 2001 to provide support to a Japanese ground element during bilateral training.

As a means of strengthening defense ties with Kiribati, the U.S. welcomed their participation in FY 2000 in the Asia-Pacific Center's executive courses, designed to focus on the non-warfighting aspects of security and international relations. The executive courses increase awareness and understanding of U.S. policies, which leads to increased trust, transparency and confidence. The courses also allow U.S. officers to build lasting relationships with their counterparts from Kiribati. As current chair of the Pacific Islands Forum, Kiribati is also in a position to influence other Pacific island countries regarding security and international relations.

Since the Korean War, the Republic of Korea has proven a strategically important and reliable defense treaty ally. While efforts to reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula are underway, the U.S. and the ROK continue to maintain and strengthen the three major elements of our security alliance: the 1953 Mutual Defense Treaty, strong bilateral ties and combined military forces. U.S. and ROK forces unified under the Combined Forces Command continue to enhance their capabilities to deter and, if necessary, defeat aggression. To sharpen readiness, the Command is continually refining its vigorous program of training and exercises.

A key objective of U.S. training is maintaining the strong sense of shared values and purpose that underlies the U.S.-ROK alliance. Toward that end, the U.S. and the ROK have a Professional Military Education (PME) Reciprocal Exchange Program for the USA and USMC Command and General Staff Colleges (CGSC). The ROKA is given two slots for the USA CGSC per year in accordance with the Memorandum of Agreement for Professional Military Education. The USMC CGSC allows one ROKMC student to attend each year under the same agreement. In addition to the reciprocal exchange program, the ROK services get one NDU slot each year and the ROKA and the ROKN each get a War College slot. The ROKA also gets a slot to the Sergeant Major Academy and the ROKAF gets a slot to the Squadron Officer School.

The bulk of U.S. training has been purchased by the ROK through the Foreign Military Sales program. This training provides ROK military and civilian personnel training in skills needed to operate and maintain U.S. origin equipment, thereby strengthening ROK combat capabilities and improving ROK interoperability with U.S. forces.

 LAOS

U.S. military trainers have provided training to Lao civilians for humanitarian demining. Since the beginning of operations in FY'94, over 815 Lao personnel have been trained as demining technicians, medics, community (mine) awareness experts, team leaders, and instructors. In FY99, over 250 Lao participants were trained in an effort to enable Laos to develop a self-sustaining training capacity.

Beginning in FY'01, we will establish an IMET program in Laos to teach English to a small group of Lao military to enable them to better support our POW-MIA accounting and recovery missions.

 MALAYSIA

The U.S. has important security interests in Malaysia, a key member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and has just completed a two-year term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. A public supporter of our forward deployed presence in Asia, Malaysia borders one of the world's most important maritime waterways. The U.S. military benefits from transit rights over Malaysian territory and access to Malaysian ports and airfields.

IMET contributes significantly to the strengthening of our military-to-military ties, and familiarizes the Malaysian military with U.S. doctrine, equipment, and management techniques. IMET training also reinforces the Malaysian military's commitment to human rights and good civil-military relations, and helps expand our access to and cooperation with Malaysian military leaders. Malaysia is also active in multinational peacekeeping operations, which necessitate training that promotes interoperability. Malaysia is also engaged in training that will improve the military's ability to combat narcotics trafficking and money laundering operations.

 MARSHALL ISLANDS

As a means of strengthening defense ties with the Marshall Islands, the U.S. welcomed their participation in FY 2000 in the Asia-Pacific Center's executive courses, designed to focus on the non-warfighting aspects of security and international relations. The executive courses increase awareness and understanding of U.S. policies, which leads to increased trust, transparency and confidence. The courses also allow U.S. officers to build lasting relationships with their counterparts from the Marshall Islands.

 MICRONESIA

As a means of strengthening defense ties with the Micronesia, the U.S. welcomed its participation in FY 2000 in the Asia-Pacific Center's executive courses, designed to focus on the non-warfighting aspects of security and international relations. The executive courses increase awareness and understanding of U.S. policies, which leads to increased trust, transparency and confidence. The courses also allow U.S. officers to build lasting relationships with their counterparts from Micronesia.

It is in the U.S. national interest to support Mongolia's transformation into a secure, democratic and stable country that can contribute to the security and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region. IMET training for Mongolia in FY 2000 was designed to further that interest by promoting civilian control of the military, military justice and law, and respect for international human rights standards. FY 2000 IMET training also facilitated strengthened U.S.-Mongolia military-to-military ties and common military understanding and values by providing English language training and basic officer military training in intelligence, military medicine, defense and resource management, chemical officer training, personnel and finance officer basic courses and U.S. senior service schools, (i.e., command and general staff colleges and the Army War College.. The U.S. will provide IMET training with similar objectives in FY 2001, adding medical, signal and infantry officer training and veterinary specialist food inspection training.

 To strengthen defense ties, the U.S. welcomed Mongolian participation in the Asia-Pacific Center's executive courses in FY 2000, designed to focus on the non-warfighting aspects of security and international relations. The U.S. proposes similar Mongolian participation in these courses in FY 2001.

NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand remains a valuable player in contributing to regional stability and peacekeeping operations in the Pacific region, including in E. Timor. It shares U.S. goals in promoting democracy, human rights, and political pluralism in the region, and also has participated with U.S. naval forces in enforcing the UN trade sanctions on Iraq. Allowing members of the New Zealand armed forces to attend professional military courses in the United States is consistent with U.S. policy following New Zealand's withdrawal from the ANZUS treaty.