US Base In Australia

From Yahoo News:
"Seeking to Contain China, US to Establish Permanent Military Presence Down Under"

President Obama and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Wednesday announced that the US military will begin a permanent presence Down Under — part of a greater Obama administration strategy to contain the rise of China in the Pacific. By mid-2012, a company-sized rotation of Marines, between 200-250, will be stationed at an Australian military base in the Northern territory. That will ramp up to a full force of 2,500 Marine personnel as part of a Marine, Air, Ground Task Force In addition, the US Air Force will be able to use Australian Air Force facilities significantly more than it does now.

^ I don't really understand how us having a base in Australia will stop a Chinese threat in Asia. If the troops we have in South Korea, Japan, Guam, American Samoa, Hawaii and the other places in Asia then how will a group Marines make much of a difference? I think someone just wanted a new base and decided that Australia would be perfect because of the weather and they speak English. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/seeking-contain-china-us-establish-permanent-military-presence-051940951.html