After reading Lauren's editorial (view here) regarding President Obama's recent visit to Australia, I was left wondering why the President felt that this trip was necessary. I understand that Australia is a strong ally to the U.S., but I was unsure of why President Obama felt that we needed a stronger military presence there. So as I did some research (see here: I & II), I found more than one answer to my question.
Since mid September there has been a slow reigniting of old territorial disputes in the South China Sea. This began with the detainment of Chinese fishing boats by Japan near the Senkaku Islands which later led to a standoff resulting in the release of the Chinese crewmen. China has also faced similar disputes with South Korea. With tensions mounting, President Obama hopes that with the U.S. and Australia showing solidarity, potential threats can be avoided.
The U.S. also hopes that the closer proximity to these South Pacific nations will allow us to respond more quickly to natural disasters that have recently plagued the region.
I found both reasons to be "acceptable," but I couldn't help agreeing with Lauren that it seems as though President Obama just wants to keep a closer eye on China, and wants our presence to be a tad bit more apparent to that booming nation across the way. I guess the best way to do that is to get as close to them as we possibly can.
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