While recently attending the 2012 East West Center International Conference in Beijing, I heard U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke's keynote speech. Overall, Locke's speech was very diplomatic, urging cooperation between China and the United States and I agreed with almost all of his points in that regard. However, Locke made one statement that struck me as a serious exaggeration - indicating that everyone is in agreement about the U.S. military presence in Asia being positive for the security of the region. Locke may have been referring to the United States' role in fighting the Japanese in WWII which many Asians may be appreciative of, but that appreciation doesn't necessarily extend to the U.S. military presence in the more recent era. Two days after hearing Locke's speech, I went to the 798 Art District in Beijing and saw the following artwork in one of the many galleries.
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| Chinese girl pissing on American aircraft carrier |
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| Ambassador Gary Locke at East-West Center Conference in Beijing |
However, its not only China that can be unenthusiastic about American military presence in Asia. For example, while the Philippines may currently be considering allowing some American military aid to help deter China, it is important to remember that the Philippines kicked the American military out in the 1990s. While the Philippines may now view the U.S. as the lesser of two evils in terms of foreign military presence, this doesn't mean that Filipinos (or other Asians) want increased American military presence or view it as generally positive. Although it might be necessary in some instances to protect smaller countries, I think virtually all people would ideally prefer no foreign military presence within or near their borders.
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