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Indonesia sees US

role in Asia-Pacific

JAKARTA: Indonesian foreign minister Ali Alatas said on Tuesday he expected the United States to continue playing a role in the Asia-Pacific region despite the closure of six more U.S. military facilities in Japan.

Japan and the United States announced in Tokyo on Monday the closure of six more U.S. military facilities on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa, reducing the amount of land occupied by U.S. forces there by a fifth.

"I believe we should not assume this as the reduction of the role the United States is playing in this region. We should see this as adjustment," Alatas said. He did not elaborate.

A statement issued at the end of talks between the U.S. Defence Secretary William Perry and Japanese Minister Yukihiko Ikeda said that, in addition, the size of four other U.S. military facilities would be substantially reduced in Okinawa, where there have been calls for all U.S. bases to shut.

"The United States will continue playing its role in the region," Alatas said.

The closures were announced just ahead of the arrival in Japan of U.S. President Bill Clinton for a state visit and after last week's announcement that Okinawa's Futenma base will be shut down.

Indonesia, an influential member of the seven-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), fears China's expansion in the South China Sea, where Jakarta is developing a $40 billion offshore gas project.

It recently bought 39 ships from the former East German navy, including tank landing ships and mine sweepers. It also has two German-built submarines.

The Indonesian armed force commander said earlier this month that his country was negotiating with the United States to buy more F-16 fighter planes. Indonesia's air force already has more than 80 combat aircraft, including 12 F-16s.-Reuter