Australia welcomes enhanced US presence in Asia-Pacific
Australia, a key US ally, today welcomed the enhanced American presence in the Asia-Pacific, a day after the Pentagon announced it is shifting a bulk of its naval fleet to the region by 2020 under a new strategic focus on Asia.
``The United States is a Pacific power, and we are here to stay,'' Obama declared in the Australian parliament on the latest stop of a tour that he said augured a ``larger and long-term role'' in shaping Asia.