US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is traveling to Southeast Asia this week to strengthen ties with Washington's strategic allies, an official said Monday, as the United States looks to bolster its regional stance against an increasingly assertive China.
US announces strategy to deepen ties with allies in Southeast Asia
During a 10-day trip that will include visits to Vietnam, Laos, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore and Mongolia, Blinken will deliver a message of American commitment to its allies in the region, said Daniel Kritenbrink, a senior U.S. State Department official.
“We are deepening our bilateral relations, expanding our ally and partner relations, which have reached unprecedented heights, and creating together a network of mutually reinforcing partnerships,” he said.
The United States has significantly increased its cooperation with several countries in Southeast Asia in recent years, particularly those involved in territorial disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea.
