The US remains focused long-term on the Indo-Pacific region, despite concerns over Russian aggression toward Ukraine, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said yesterday.
Blinken is in Melbourne, Australia, for a meeting today with his counterparts from Australia, India and Japan.
The four nations form the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, a bloc of Indo-Pacific democracies that was created to counter China’s regional influence.
Photo: AFP
“There are a few other things going on in the world right now, some of you may have noticed,” Blinken said in his first public address since arriving in Australia on Wednesday.
“We have a bit of a challenge with Ukraine and Russian aggression,” he said. “We’re working 24/7 on that, but we know, the [US] president [Joe Biden] knows better than anyone else, that so much of this century is going to be shaped by what happens here in the Indo-Pacific region.”
The Indo-Pacific is the fastest-growing region in the world, accounting for two-thirds of global economic growth over the past five years and home to half of the world’s population, Blinken said.
What matters in the region matters around the world, and challenges such as climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be tackled by any nation alone, he said.
“More than ever before, we need partnerships, we need alliances, we need coalitions of countries willing to put their efforts, their resources, their minds into tackling these problems,” Blinken said.
“What really drives us is a shared vision” of a “free and open society,” he added.
Blinken’s trip is designed to reinforce Washington’s interests in Asia and its intent to push back against increasing Chinese assertiveness in the region.
He is also to visit Fiji, and discuss concerns about North Korea with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts in Hawaii.
Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne, who is to chair today’s meeting, said that the agenda would include COVID-19 vaccine distribution, cyber and critical technologies, countering disinformation, terrorism, maritime security and climate change.
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