Security and Stability in the Asia-Pacific Region
Mr. Vance D. Coffman
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Thank you - Appreciate being asked to be part of this prestigious panel - welcome opportunity to discuss "military security and economic development" - critically important issue with impact far beyond the Pacific Basin. Speak from perspective of Defense Industry executive - have a predilection for U.S. and her allies to be well prepared for conflict. Recall quotation of George Washington: " To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace."
The Asia-Pacific region has not seen large-scale armed conflict since the end of the Vietnam War a quarter-century ago [1975]. The era of relative peace and stability has enabled many of the economies of the region to enjoy rapid growth and spreading prosperity.
Significant areas of tension remain: India-Pakistan, the Korean Peninsula, Taiwan Straits, and, most recently East Timor.
Economic development has been uneven, and the economic crisis of 1998-99 continues to manifest itself in many of the economies of the region (Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, for example).
One key to the stability of the region has been the important role played by the United States and its friends and allies. Through a series of alliances and bilateral cooperative arrangements, the United States provides the overarching "security umbrella" that makes it possible for peaceful development to occur.
Key tools achieving this objective are (1) the US Pacific Fleet, headquartered at Pearl Harbor; which makes port calls throughout the region; (2) the presence of US forces in South Korea and in Japan, (3) excellent bilateral and multilateral relationships with our regional friends and allies e.g., Australia, Singapore, Philippines, New Zealand.
The recent experience in East Timor may be an example of what CINCPAC Dennis Blair has called a "third way" for peacekeeping operations and military cooperation.
This operation was led by Australia with participation by many other allies. The United States participated with lift, communications, and other special capabilities, but the US did not lead the operation or stay our entirely - i.e., selective participation where the US had special capabilities. This operation has now transferred to one commanded by the Philippines under UN authority.
In the future, good diplomacy, strong political relationships, military cooperation and ties, and economic bonds will all be elements of security in the Asia-Pacific.
Lockheed Martin is pleased to contribute to the economic development of the Asia-Pacific region and also to the security requirements of our key customers.
LM has pursued business virtually every country in the region.
We have established business presence in China, Republic of Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Australia.
Each of our business areas - aeronautics, systems integration, technical services, and telecommunications - has done business throughout the region, in both the civil and the military lines of business.
We do approximately half of our international business in Asia, and we see the Asia markets as ones with permanent promise for many of our products.
Rapid advances in telecommunications, electronics, information technologies and many other areas of technological development that are the driving forces behind globalization will lead to further changes in the economies and the security circumstances of countries in Asia.
Containing the dangers of military conflict while allowing economic progress to continue is the central challenge faced in the region.
It is in everyone's interest for this process to succeed.
The forces of globalization should not be a threat to the region, but one more element of the complex of forces leading to the economic transformation.
Properly managed, these forces will lead to better lives for all the people in the region.
In this sense, good policy and good business are one and the same.
Summary
Close my opening comments with two thoughts:
Whenever we speculate about the intentions of monolithic regimes such as mainland China and North Korea - regimes that are not transparent, either to us or to their own people - we should remind ourselves of comment by historian Barbara Tuchman, in her classic analysis of the beginning of World War I - The Guns of August - she wrote, "War is the unfolding of miscalculations."
Point is that we cannot really know what's going on in the minds of potential adversaries. So in a world of uncertainty, such as the one we inhabit today, there is really only one area where we can create certainty - and that is in our own military strength. Each country has responsibility for maintaining reasonable level of national defense. When each country does this, it strengthens the overall stability of a region. Which in turn, allows economic forces to flourish.
Thank you again for the opportunity to be here today.