SINGAPORE - US Defence Secretary Robert Gates arrived Friday in Singapore to attend a regional security conference at the start of an Asian tour which he said aims to reaffirm US engagement with the region.
Gates touched down for his fourth major trip to Asia in 17 months, and his second regional swing in about three months.
‘If there is one theme that connects the different stops, it is affirming that the United States is not distracted by wars in Iraq and Afghanistan from our long-term interests here in Asia and the cultivation and the strengthening of our relationships with allies, partners and others in the region,’ Gates said before leaving the tiny Pacific territory of Guam, his first stop.
There have been doubts among some allies over US leadership of the region, which is under the shadow of China's military build-up.
In Singapore, Gates will join over the weekend in the seventh Shangri-La Dialogue.
Also known as the Asia Security Summit, the meeting of defence and national security officials and analysts is organised by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, an independent think-tank.
From Singapore, where the summit ends Sunday, Gates is to head to Thailand and South Korea.
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