EU President Warns of Asia-Pacific Militarization

European Council President Herman Van Rompuy speaks to the media after an EU summit in Brussels, June 17, 2010.

From AFP:  The Asia-Pacific region is showing signs of militarization that could lead to an arms race, EU President Herman Van Rompuy warned Nov. 9, calling for closer trade ties to defuse any political tensions.

"Whereas Europe used to be the most dangerous continent in the past century… the focus of security analysts and hard power strategic planners has recently moved towards developments in Asia and the Pacific," said Van Rompuy in a speech at the University of Zurich.

"They do not yet observe a full-blown arms race, but in terms of military spending and confrontational psychology, the premises of an arms race are there," he added, without naming individual countries.   (photo: AP)

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