Defense ministers from more than 20 countries gathered Friday for an annual conference on a host of issues: terrorism, maritime security, North Korea's nuclear weapons development, the U.S. military presence in Asia and China's expanding influence. U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and other delegates to the Asia-Pacific security forum are reinforcing alliances at a time when Asia faces some tough problems, many of them political and economic. While traveling to Singapore, Rumsfeld told reporters that China's military is growing as quickly as its economy and is a major buyer of weapons from Russia and other countries. He also said China's "less free" political system needs to open up along with its economy. "It would be a shame for the people of China if their government did not provide the opportunities that freer economic and political systems permit," Rumsfeld said.
