Besides events on non-traditional security, RIMPAC-2012, which is themed "capable, adaptive, partners," will exercise a wide range of capabilities of naval forces, including maritime security operations, sea control, complex war maneuvers, amphibious operations, gunnery, missile launching, and anti-submarine and air defense exercises.

"Obviously, pirates don't have submarines," Cao said. "Another intention of the military exercise of Washington is widely regarded as to deter China."

"The United States is responding to the gradual rise of China militarily because China is modernizing its military forces," Teng said to Beijing Review.

U.S. pivot toward Asia

In recent years, U.S. military exercises in the Asia-Pacific region have become commonplace. According to Panetta's spokesman Carl Woog, in 2011 the U.S. Pacific Command participated in 172 multilateral and bilateral exercises with 24 countries in the region. During the Shangri-La Dialogue, Panetta also claimed that the United States would increase the size and scope of military exercises in the region and expand port visits by Navy ships.

At the beginning of this year, Washington released its new edition of battle guidelines. An AirSea Battle fighting concept was mentioned in the document, which is said to aim at cementing U.S. alliances in Asia and countering the "anti-access, area-denial" weapons and capabilities developed by other nations.

Observers say AirSea Battle is designed precisely to address the Pentagon's concerns over China's investment in "access-denial" weapons.

The new guideline mentioned China three times. It called on the United States to integrate its Navy, Army, Air Force and Marine Corps to combat China, Iran and other countries' actions preventing the United States from getting access to the South China Sea, the Gulf, as well as other strategic areas, said Li Daguang, a senior military expert at the PLA University of National Defense in Beijing.

Many are concerned that the ever-expanding U.S. military capabilities in the Asia-Pacific will raise tensions with other countries in the region, notably China.

"We are not naive about this relationship, and neither is China. We both understand the conflicts we have. But we also both understand that there really is no other alternative for both of us but to engage and to improve our communication and to improve our military-to-military relationships," Panetta said at the Shangri-La Dialogue.

But before leaving for the multilateral military dialogue forum, Panetta said bluntly that his trip to Singapore, Viet Nam and India was aimed at remaining "vigilant" in the face of China's growing military.

"One should be judged not only by what he says but also by what he does. Washington has repeated that it would not take sides on the South China Sea issue, but during the recent Huangyan Island dispute it actually showed its stance by sending warships to adjacent regions," said Teng.

On April 10, the Philippines sent a warship to harass 12 Chinese fishing vessels that had sailed into the lagoon of Huangyan Island in the South China Sea to shelter from bad weather. The move sparked a diplomatic dispute between China and the Philippines.

Li said the current situation is different from that of the Cold War era. It is impossible for Washington to build up a military encirclement around China, but it will try to build up an encirclement to contain China by taking advantage of disputes between China and neighboring countries, especially South China Sea territorial disputes between China and some Southeast Asian countries including Viet Nam and the Philippines.

Teng cautioned that some countries concerned with the South China Sea issue might strengthen coordination during the upcoming two-month RIMPAC-2012 naval exercise, and they might take a much tougher stance on the issue in the future.

He said what the Asia-Pacific needs is not a large-scale military strategic adjustment but a peaceful and stable development environment. "China has always been explicit in its attitudes toward U.S. presence in the Asia-Pacific. China welcomes the United States to play a constructive role in the region," he said.

Email us at: yulintao@bjreview.com