Secretary of Defense Lloyd J Austin III (L) and Secretary of State Antony Blinken converse before an event on the Ukraine Compact at the 2024 NATO Summit in Washington on July 11. Photo by Chris Kleponis/UPI | License Photo
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin plan to travel to several countries in the Indo-Pacific Region amid high tensions in the Asian area.
They are scheduled to meet with their counterparts from Japan and the Philippines on Sunday and July 29. Advertisement
Blinken also will visit Vietnam, Laos, Philippines, Singapore and Mongolia from Wednesday to Aug. 3. Austin leaves for the region Friday.
“Secretary Blinken will reaffirm the importance of the work the United States does with our allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific to advancing security and prosperity and facilitating a share division for a free and open region,” according to a Department of State news release Monday.
“The secretary will further underscore the United States’ enduring commitment to deepening and expanding ties to unprecedented levels and creating mutually reinforcing relationships to tackle today’s greatest challenges.” Advertisement
It will be Blinken’s 18th trip to the Indo-Pacific region and Austin’s 11th since their appointments in 2021.
“Secretary Austin will engage counterparts from four U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific as the Department of Defense continues to strengthen U.S. relationships with regional allies and partners in support of a shared vision for peace, stability and deterrence,” according to a Defense Department news release.
On Sunday, Blinken will meet with Yoko Kamikawa, the Japanese minister for Foreign Affairs, and Austin will meet with Japanese Minister of Defense Kihara Minoru and South Korean Minister of National Defense Shin Won-sik.
The Trilateral Ministerial Meeting will be the first to take place in Japan or South Korea.
After Tokyo, Austin and Blinken will travel to Manila, Philippines, and meet with their counterparts.
Last month, Chinese sailors attacked a Filipino crew with machetes and seized weapons and equipment.
Also, Chinese ships have rammed and sprayed Filipino sailors with water cannons at the disputed reef Second Thomas Shoal. The Philippines has sought to resupply its presence at a beached ship.
The Philippines and China reached a provisional agreement to lower tension in the South China Sea, according to the two countries.
A vice foreign ministerial dialogue took place on July 2 in Manila. Advertisement
In Laos, Blinken will participate in the annual ASEAN-U.S. Post Ministerial Conference, 14th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and the 31st ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
Blinken said he would meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the ASEAN meeting.
In Singapore, Secretary Blinken is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan “to review the growth of our bilateral cooperation with this pivotal regional partner on shared security, economic, climate and technology objectives.”
Blinken also will lead the second round of the U.S.-Singapore Critical and Emerging Technology Dialogue, “where the two sides will advance initiatives to strengthen ties between our innovation eco systems and reduce barriers to collaboration while protecting national security.”
In Mongolia, Blinken will meet with senior Mongolian officials “to reaffirm the importance of the U.S.-Mongolia Strategic Partnership.”
North Korea and South Korea have abandoned a 2018 pact to demilitarize the border between them. North Korea has been launching missile rocket tests and spy satellite launches.
