Article Posted on : - Feb 20, 2012

WASHINGTON (PTI): The United States is not inclined to enter into an arms race or any confrontation with China, a top Pentagon official has said.

"I think there is more opportunity than liability to improve our relationship with China," General Martin Dempsey, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, told CNN's Fareed Zakaria in an interview.

"I am personally committed to having that as the outcome rather than get into an arms race or into some kind of confrontation with China," Dempsey said in response to a question.

The top Pentagon General justified the decision of the Obama Administration to focus more on the Asia Pacific region.

"You know that in our new strategy we've taken a decision to re-balance ourselves toward the Pacific, and in so doing it's not as though we're flipping a switch.

"We've never left the Pacific really, but we want to become more engaged in the Pacific," Dempsey said.