The United States has declared that its planned stationing of U.S. Marines in Australian territory was to be taken as its exclusive ties with a long-time ally and not meant to antagonise any country in the Asia Pacific region.

In a news briefing held Wednesday at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, U.S. Under Secretary for Defence Michele Flournoy has assured that Washington's recent pronouncement of maintaining a considerable military presence in Australia is not aimed to contain the rising influence in area, considered by many as the next major economic hub in the immediate years ahead.

During his Asian tour in October, U.S. President Barack Obama revealed the impending deployment of some 2500 U.S. Marines in Darwin, which highlighted the country's intent to make its presence strongly felt as China increasingly raises its influence in the region.

In a bold declaration, Obama said that the improving relationship between America and Australia points to a reality that the U.S. has no plan of diminishing its activities in Asia and that it means to stay.

Flournoy, however, clarified during her talks with General Ma Xiaotian, deputy chief of China's People's Liberation Army General Staff, that the military deal between Canberra and Washington was simply reflective of the two country's long-standing good relationship, dating back to their alliance in previous world wars.

"We assured General Ma and his delegation that the U.S. does not seek to contain China. We do not view China as an adversary. That these posture changes were first and foremost about strengthening our alliance with Australia," Reuters reported the U.S. official as saying during an audience with media men in Beijing.

"This really isn't about China. This is about Australia and ensuring that we remain present in the region in a way that is relevant to the kinds of, particularly non-traditional challenges that we face," Flournoy insisted.

She added that the discussion with Ma turned out positive and productive and America looks forward to establishing closer military cooperation with China despite the disagreements the two countries are currently entangled with.

China has voiced out its dissatisfaction on the new military deal between Canberra and Washington, sternly warning that America's plan of ramping up its troops presence in the region could spark unnecessary tensions.

Also, Beijing scored the United States for creating a scenario that it said harks back to the Cold War era, in which countries with nuclear capabilities were almost always at the edge of launching attacks against each other.

As nations paint grave warning of the rising military might being projected by China, the country stressed that its military build up is meant solely to defend its interest and not to be taken as a form of aggression against its neighbours.