To a lesser degree, the Pentagon is also seeking to upgrade military relations with Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. Although US officials say the regional pivot is not aimed at any single country, analysts said it is a clear response to a rising China, whose growing military strength and assertive territorial claims have pushed other Asian nations to reach out to Washington. The Pentagon is reviewing the size and distribution of its forces in northeast Asia, where they are concentrated on Cold War-era bases in Japan and South Korea. The intent is to gradually reduce the US military presence in those countries while enhancing it in Southeast Asia, home to the world's busiest shipping lanes and to growing international competition to tap into vast undersea oil and gas fields. "In terms of your overall influence in the Asia-Pacific zone, the strategic weight is shifting south," said a senior Australian official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the military talks. "Australia didn't look all that important during the Cold War. But Australia looks much more important if your fascination is really with the Southeast Asian archipelago." Australia is a long-standing ally of the United States, and one of its closest partners in intelligence and military matters. More than 20,000 Australian troops spent time in Iraq between 2003 and 2009. About 1500 Australian troops are now in Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led coalition.

An official interim review of Australia's military basing structure recently concluded that the chances of the country coming under direct military attack are "currently remote". But it urged the government to strengthen its forces along the northern and western coasts, near where most of its mineral wealth is concentrated and where its defences are relatively sparse. Australia is blessed with an abundance of natural resources and has become China's leading supplier of coal and iron ore. The strategic review also advises the government to tailor its basing plans by considering US security interests. Last November when Defence Minister Stephen Smith was asked by the ABC if he was ruling out any future joint operations or military establishments with the US in Cocos Islands, he replied: ''Well, that discussion has not occurred. We have three levels of arrangement or engagement with the United States. We have our joint facilities. We don’t have bases. We have joint facilities and Pine Gap is a classic illustration. Secondly, we have joint training and thirdly, we have joint exercises.



''The training and exercises occur under the umbrella of a Status of Forces Agreement entered into in 1963. That’s the basis under which the Marines will rotate through the Northern Territory. I made it clear during the week that there were three levels of engagement so far as the Global Force Posture Review is concerned.



''That’s the Marine rotation through the Northern Territory, greater utilisation of Air Force bases in northern Australia for US planes and in the longer term, the prospect of enhanced ship visits and submarine visits through the Indian Ocean Rim through HMAS Stirling in Western Australia. That’s where that comment has been misunderstood.''





When pressed, Mr Smith added, ''Well, we don't have United States military bases on Australian territory. That's the first thing. Secondly, we have joint exercises and joint training. And we certainly have naval vessels coming to HMAS Stirling on a regular basis. ''Now, down the track in the future, there may well be some possibility or prospect of greater utilisation of Cocos Island. But that's well down the track. Indeed, there would be a requirement for substantial infrastructure changes to be made for further air or naval engagement through the Cocos Islands. ''In the first instance, our Indian Ocean arrangement will be, in my view, greater naval access to our premier Indian Ocean naval base – Stirling in Western Australia.'' WASHINGTON POST