Last November, President Obama made a visit to Canberra, Australia to discuss an expansion of US troop presence in the region. Obama and Prime Minister Gillard reached an agreement which would allow up to 2,500 Marines to spend six-month stints in the port city of Darwin on Australia's northern coast. Yesterday, the first contingent of 200 Marines arrived in Darwin. Both the US and the Australians have been exceedingly careful to frame this move as an extension of long-standing mutual interests, not a strategic move aimed at confronting anyone in particular. However, various analysts agree that a prime factor in this move is the rise of China's military and their seeming willingness to throw their weight around in the South China Sea...Full story
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