Fresh from a visit with allies in Asia, a top Pentagon official on Wednesday dismissed concerns that the US' strategic rebalance of the Asia-Pacific region is intended to counter a rising China.

"This rebalance is not about any single country or group of countries. It is not about China or the United States. It's about a peaceful Asia-Pacific region, where sovereign states can enjoy the benefit of security and continue to prosper," Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter told a crowd at the Asia Society in New York.

"We seek to strengthen our very important relationship with China, and believe that China is key to developing a peaceful, prosperous and secure Asia-Pacific region," he said.