WASHINGTON — Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating, nominated by President Bush to head the Hawai'i-based U.S. Pacific Command, told a Senate confirmation panel yesterday that conflict with China over security in the region remains a possibility.

Keating said that if confirmed, he would engage in joint military exercises "of some sophistication and frequency" with the Chinese to try to ease tensions with the superpower, which is undergoing a military buildup.

"We would pay close attention to their development of their weapons systems and capabilities and keep a weather eye on whether they intend to use those against Taiwan," he told the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing.

"If we ensure they are aware of our capabilities, our intent, I think that would go a long way to defusing a potential strike across the Straits of Taiwan."

Keating, 58, currently is head of the U.S. Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command. He would replace Adm. William J. Fallon, who now commands the U.S. Central Command and oversees the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Keating said he and his wife, Wandalee, also are excited about the idea of coming back to Hawai'i.

"Wandalee and I are fortunate enough to have lived in Hawai'i for a little under two years in the mid-1980s, so we're coming home, if you will," he said.

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., chairman of the committee, said he knew of no Senate opposition to Keating and hoped to have a Senate vote on his confirmation as early as next week.

Levin noted that the Pacific Command encompasses an area that includes almost 60 percent of the world's population and more than half of Earth's surface.

"This assignment comes at a time when we face conflicts and challenges with China and North Korea as well as the continuing threat of terrorism in Indonesia, the Philippines and elsewhere in the region," he said.

Keating said his past Pacific assignments, including a previous stint at the Pacific Command and two years in Japan commanding a carrier group, have led to a "keen appreciation for the vibrancy and complexity of this vast region."

"Pacific Command's emphasis on the war on terror, on security cooperation with allies and partners, on the readiness and posture of our forwarddeployed forces and our operational plans seems appropriate to me," Keating said. "If confirmed, I intend to use these principles as the foundation during my tenure."

Keating also said he believes the agreement with North Korea for it to abandon nuclear weapons in exchange for aid appears to be "positive and beneficial" and could lead to stability and peace on the peninsula.

"We need to have the access to know if North Korea is upholding their side of the agreement, but it appears to be a positive step," Keating said.

In the discussion about China, Keating said that country's military buildup is "impressive" in gross numbers as well as the percentage of its budget, if reports are accurate.

"They are well behind us technologically," he said. "We have significant advantages now, and we're not going to yield those advantages."

Reach Dennis Camire at dcamire@gns.gannett.com.