US to deepen security relationship with India: Pentagon

Washington, Jul 2: Amid US' push for its Asia pivot strategy, the Pentagon has said it would "deepen" its security relationship with India to maintaining regional peace and building capabilities to provide for missile defence, cyber security and maritime security.

In its 'National Military Strategy' for 2015, the Pentagon said countries like Russia, China and North Korea pose security threats to the US and its allies.

Reiterating that the US "will press forward with the rebalance" to the Asia-Pacific region, the 24-page report said it will strengthen its alliances with Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Thailand.

"We also will deepen our security relationship with India and build upon our partnerships with New Zealand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Bangladesh. Such efforts are essential to maintaining regional peace and building capabilities to provide for missile defence, cyber security, maritime security, and disaster relief," it said.

The Pentagon said it supports China's rise and encourages it to become a partner for greater international security. "However, China's actions are adding tension to the Asia-Pacific region. For example, its claims to nearly the entire South China Sea are inconsistent with international law," it said.

"The international community continues to call on China to settle such issues cooperatively and without coercion. China has responded with aggressive land reclamation efforts that will allow it to position military forces astride vital international sea lanes," the report said yesterday.

While Russia has contributed in select security areas, such as counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism, it also has repeatedly demonstrated that it does not respect the sovereignty of its neighbours and it is willing to use force to achieve its goals, the report said.

"Russia's military actions are undermining regional security directly and through proxy forces. These actions violate numerous agreements that Russia has signed in which it committed to act in accordance with international norms," it said.

In 2012, President Obama announced the so called 'pivot to Asia' that involves rebalancing America's global military weight to Asia for strengthening its traditional alliances in Asia and building new partnerships, including with India, in the wake of a more assertive China.

PTI