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In a move that is more symbolic than substantial, the U.S. President will outline plans to rotate 2,000 U.S. Marines a year through a naval base in Darwin, Northern Territory. This will be part of a deal that calls for joint training and military manoeuvres as well as allowing Washington to pre-position military supplies in Australia……

the new basing agreement marks a dramatic change in the thrust of U.S. foreign policy.As Washington prepares to withdraw from a decade-old military involvement in the Middle East and Afghanistan and braces for a possible US$500-billion in military spending cuts over the next five years, U.S. policy makers are pivoting to refocus their attention on Asia.

In an essay for Foreign Policy magazine last month, Hillary Clinton, the U.S. Secretary of State, heralded the dawn of “America’s Pacific Century,” insisting it is in Washington’s interest to reassert its influence in Asia.