US-Australian ties not aimed at China: Gates

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Sunday that Washington's expanded military ties with Southeast Asian nations and Australia are not a challenge to a rising China.

Gates, on his way to Melbourne to attend the AUSMIN (Australia-US ministerial level talks) today, said that Washington's moves are "not about China at all," adding that Washington and Beijing share many goals in the region.

"We want to see China's rise be successful, bring benefits to the Chinese people but (also) take on greater responsibility and a rules-based approach toward all of its neighbors," said US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who had landed in Melbourne on Saturday for the same meeting.

However, Ni Feng, a researcher of US studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that Washington's presence in Asia is "a strategic move to counterbalance China."

He said that "by making use of regional issues involving China and other countries," Washington is trying to spread its influence throughout Southeast Asia.

The AUSMIN meetings will focus on regional and global security issues, including the war in Afghanistan.

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the stability and security of the Asia Pacific region would be a key topic in today's talks with Gates and Clinton.

"I think we will be talking about the geopolitics of our region, and that means, of course, we'll be talking about the rise of China and ... what sort of force it is going to be in the world; and we want China to be a force for good," Gillard said.

Australia's military alliance with the US has deep roots.

The former remains a top buyer of US weaponry, with purchases totaling $1.45 billion this year.

Agencies contributed to this story