By Kristin Roberts

SINGAPORE, June 2 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Saturday called on Asian nations to give more aid to Afghanistan and boost regional cooperation to counter threats from weapons proliferation and terrorism.

The Pentagon chief also warned that nuclear programs in Iran and North Korea pose a similar threat to Asia as they do to Europe, and that chaos in Iraq would embolden extremists throughout the world.

"The effect of chaos in either Central or Southwest Asia will not recognize national, continental or regional boundaries," he told Asian counterparts at the Shangri-La Dialogue security conference in Singapore.

Gates' message to Asian nations about cooperation and burden sharing was similar in substance to comments delivered to European partners earlier this year.

But his speech at the Shangri-La forum marked a dramatic shift in tone for the Pentagon, which under former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld used the event to confront China and criticize Beijing for a lack of transparency on its military build-up.

Gates, in fact, made few references to China.

He said Washington was worried about the "opaqueness" of Beijing's military spending and modernization programs. He noted the Pentagon's recently released annual report on China's military power highlighted the areas of military enlargement and weapons development pursued by Beijing.

While cautioning that "distrust and secrecy can lead to miscalculation and unnecessary confrontation," Gates said the United States and China share interests in areas such as terrorism and energy security.

"As we gain experience in dealing with each other, relationships can be forged that will build trust over time," he said.

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