Blinken To Reaffirm US Commitment To Indo-Pacific During Trip To Region - State Dept.

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Blinken to Reaffirm US Commitment to Indo-Pacific During Trip to Region - State Dept.

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th December, 2021) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will discuss Indo-Pacific security and reaffirm the United States' commitment to the region during his upcoming trip there, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink said on Wednesday.

"I think it would be natural on any trip to the region to the region to talk about the larger security context, of course. I anticipate that the Secretary will again reiterate our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific... We're interested in promoting peace, security and stability in the region, and we oppose any action by the People's Republic of China or any other actor designed to destabilize the region and undermine that rules-based order that I have described," Kritenbrink said during a briefing.

Blinken will arrive in Liverpool, United Kingdom, on Friday to attend G7 meetings, some of which will be focused on Indo-Pacific issues, State Department senior official Erica Barks-Ruggles said during the briefing. After the meetings in the United Kingdom, Blinken will head to Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

Kritenbrink said the three countries are central components of the Biden administration's Indo-Pacific strategy. Blinken is expected to discuss issues including security, health, economy, people-to-people ties, democracy, human rights, and the situation in Burma during meetings with leaders on the trip, Kritenbrink added.