Adm. Timothy Keating also said that sharing maritime security information among military officials, diplomats, and commercial shipping operators was an integral part of U.S. goals to boost regional stability.

"It's of critical importance to us," Keating told a joint news conference with Gen. Abdul Aziz Zainal, the chief of Malaysian defense forces, to mark the start of a military legal issues conference co-sponsored by Malaysia and the U.S. Pacific Command.

Keating, who became the head of the Pacific Command three weeks ago, arrived in Malaysia on Sunday on the last leg of his Asia-Pacific tour that has also taken him to Tokyo, Seoul and Guam.

Keating's endorsement of a safer Malacca Strait is welcome news for Southeast Asian countries, who have been fighting perceptions that the vital trade route is vulnerable not only to pirate attacks but also to Islamic terrorists.

About 50 percent of the world's oil trade and about a third of all global commerce passes through the narrow strait between Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.

Abdul Aziz said the three countries have boosted confidence of the safety of the sea route by increasing surveillance of suspect vessels in the area.

"We are providing full security measures in the Straits of Malacca to provide confidence for the movement of ships lining the straits," he said, adding that there had been a "tremendous reduction" in pirate attacks.

Keating agreed, saying security in the Malacca Strait was "much different and much improved in just the last five years."

Attacks in the Malacca Strait have been on the decline with only 11 cases last year compared to 18 in 2005 and 38 in 2004, according to the International Maritime Bureau, a martime watchdog.

The oil Japan, China, and South Korea import from the Middle East passes through the strait, making it a vital waterway for global economic health.

Pirates have plagued the area for decades, however. And after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, U.S. military officials grew increasingly concerned that terrorists might try to exploit the lax security in the area to mount attacks that could shut down the Malacca Strait.

But Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore began stepping up their surveillance by coordinating sea patrols in 2004 and following with air patrols a year later.

Last August, the British insurance market Lloyd's lifted its "war-risk" rating for the waterway, saying the safety of the 885-kilometer-long (550-mile-long) strait had improved due to long-term security measures.