WASHINGTON - The United States will maintain its commitment to

allies in the Asia Pacific region and military relations with partners will
remain strong, Admiral Harry Harris, commander of the U.S. Pacific
Command, said on Tuesday, amid uncertainty over President-elect
Donald Trump's foreign policy.
"I have no doubt that we will continue our steadfast commitment to our
allies and partners in the Indo-Asia Pacific," Harris said at an event held
by the publication Defense One.
"The need for and the value of American engagement in the Indo-AsiaPacific is convincing and it has (been) proven over decades," Harris
said.
Trump's campaign comments on Japan and nuclear armament and his
demand that Japan pay more for the upkeep of U.S. forces on its soil
have worried Tokyo about a possible rift in a security alliance with
Washington that has been the bedrock of its defense since World War
Two.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to meet Trump in New
York this week as Tokyo and other allies seek clarity on the direction the
Republican political novice wants to take on diplomatic relations after
comments on the campaign trail that were at odds with longstanding
U.S. policies.