‘Soviet military threat in Pacific growing’

Press, 25 July 1984, Page 6

‘Soviet military threat in Pacific growing’

NZPA-AFP New York The Soviet military threat to the Pacific region is growing, the United States Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Paul Wolfowitz, said in an interview reported in “Newsweek.” “There is a very large military threat to this part of the world and it has been growing steadily,” the magazine quoted Mr Wolfowitz as saying. He said the Soviets had built up one of the largest armies in the area, and that “they have 3000 combat aircraft deployed against China and against Japan.” The Soviet ( fleet in the Pacific had grown almost 30 per cent in the last few

years, Mr Wolfowitz said, and was “threatening large potions of the sea lanes in the Pacific. “The greatest danger lies in the possible use of those forces in some future confrontation,” he said. “The greatest danger lies in the possible use of those forces in some future confrontation,” he said. , MR Wolfowitz, who accompanied the Secretary of State, Mr George Shultz, on his recent trip through South-East Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, also said that the United States was "worried about isolatonism.” “It’s important for us to remain engaged in the Pacific and it’s important for

our partners to remain engaged with us,” he said. Asked about the incoming New Zealand Labour Government’s opposition to visits to New Zealand’s ports by United States nuclear-powreed and nuclear-armed ships, Mr Wolfowitz said the United States Government “feels very strongly it is a problem that needs to be worked out ... we are focusing on it” He said that A.N.Z.U.S. “is a security alliance,” and that “co-operation among our military forces is essential to the functioning of our alliance, and access to ports and airfields is essential to that military co-operation.”