US, Australia expand ties with an eye on China

The United States plans to expand its military presence in Australia as the two nations maneuver to rein in an increasingly assertive China.
U.S. and Australia are considering a joint or shared base arrangement in which U.S. troops and assets such as planes or ships would piggyback on existing Australian military facilities, a senior U.S. defense official said Saturday. Babylon 5 DVD Box set
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said wider military cooperation between the U.S. and longtime ally Australia is on the table as defense and foreign ministers from both countries hold annual talks Monday. The Big Bang Theory dvd box set
He and Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd hinted at the outline of the shared base idea but did not provide details. Angel dvd box set
Rudd said Australia would "welcome the United States making greater use of our ports and our training facilities, our test-firing ranges. That has been the case in decades past and will be the case for decades in the future."
The shared base idea is part of U.S. efforts to diversify its Asian military stance, which has long been focused on northern Asia. Australian bases would place U.S. forces or assets such as ships and planes much closer to potential natural disasters or conflicts in the Southern Hemisphere.
___________________
That 70s Show DVD
That 70s Show DVD box set
That 70s Show box set
The Big Bang Theory DVD
The Big Bang Theory DVD box set
ER DVD