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Hawaii’s World
IN an extended interview with Seapower magazine, official publication of the U.S. Navy League, America's commander-in-chief Pacific tells a heartening story of widespread acceptance of America's peacekeeping role in the Asia-Pacific area. U.S. forces
are accepted in AsiaAdm. Dennis C. Blair said even Chairman Kim Jong Il of North Korea seems to accept that the U.S. should keep forces in Korea after a North-South reunification.
Blair said South Korea President Kim Dae Jung has endorsed this in several speeches and also has told Blair the same thing personally.
"Even more interestingly," Blair continued, "he told me that he said the same thing to Chairman Kim Jong Il and the chairman had replied, 'I'm familiar with your position on the matter and I agree with you.' "
Underlying our national commitment to help keep peace in the Asia-Pacific area is the debacle of the Korean War. This disastrous venture for all participants stemmed from a belief the U.S. would not defend Korea.
China, of course, is a question mark where our present policy is concerned. It does not accept our commitment to stand by Taiwan with arms if need be.
Nonetheless, Blair said, cooperation with China is steadily being rebuilt after the rupture caused by NATO's error in bombing the Chinese embassy in Belgrade in 1999.
Telling our story to China is the task of Ambassador Joseph Prueher, who preceded Blair as CINCPAC. He is intimately familiar with U.S. relationships and intentions in the Asia-Pacific area.
A happy note is progress toward a "code of conduct" to defuse confrontations in the South China Sea over the Spratly Islands, where control is contested.
We and China share an interest in keeping sea lanes open to deliver Middle East oil. We may undertake more joint humanitarian search and rescue missions.
Blair thinks a development of underpublicized significance is the passage of new defense guidelines by the Japanese Diet. These approve much broader joint action with the U.S. They will be translated into mutually beneficial real plans, exercises and capabilities, he said.
Blair was able to list India as a major nation with which our contacts are improving. Contacts with Russia, on the other hand, have been interrupted, presumably because of its internal developments. We had begun to develop a strong relationship between our respective Pacific fleet commanders.
MAINTAINING readiness of U.S. forces despite budget constraints is an ongoing problem for Blair and the Army, Navy, Marine and Air Force commanders who report to him.
Conferences at his Camp Smith headquarters on Halawa Heights above Pearl Harbor must deal with this regularly.
One atypical response was for us to rent commercial helicopters to fill part of a commitment to support Australian-led forces in the United Nations intervention in East Timor. Rentals proved less costly for us than redeploying forces out of San Diego. They even kept some Marine helicopter units home for Christmas 1999.
Blair is struck that in Asia many military and government leaders often warn him of the animosities of the past when talking of the next country he will visit.
Business people in these same countries are more likely to talk of building factories, creating business opportunities or describing where their children will go to school.
"I like their perspective," he said. "It does point the way to a new path for the region's future."
A.A. Smyser is the contributing editor
and former editor of the the Star-Bulletin
His column runs Tuesday and Thursday.