Nomination signals Washington's 'focus on Asia-Pacific'

BEIJING - Chinese experts said that US President Barack Obama's nomination of navy Admiral Samuel Locklear as commander of US Pacific Command (USPACOM) on Wednesday is a sign of the US government's growing attention to Asia-Pacific affairs.

If confirmed by the Senate, Locklear will replace Admiral Robert Willard as head of the largest of the six US military Unified Combatant Commands. USPACOM has about 325,000 service members, or about one-fifth of the US military strength, and covers an area stretching from the waters off the US west coast to the western border of India.

Liu Lin, a researcher with the Academy of Military Science of the People's Liberation Army, said the nomination of the well-known figure to some extent reflected the US government's growing attention to Asia-Pacific affairs - Locklear directly commanded the operation in Libya which made him popular.