23-7-2024 (WASHINGTON) In a pivotal diplomatic endeavor, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin are set to embark on a whirlwind tour of Asia next week, with the Philippines as a key stop on their agenda. The overarching objective of this high-profile visit is to strengthen strategic partnerships and reinforce the United States’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
According to US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, the centerpiece of the trip will be the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in Manila, where Blinken and Austin will convene with their Philippine counterparts, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro. This pivotal meeting aims to “reaffirm our nations’ shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region and support for international law.”
Territorial disputes in the contentious South China Sea are expected to feature prominently on the agenda, as the two nations seek to deepen coordination on shared challenges and advance their bilateral economic agenda. The dialogue comes on the heels of a recent agreement between the Philippines and China regarding resupply missions for Filipino troops stationed at the Second Thomas Shoal, a flashpoint for recent violent clashes between the two nations.
Daniel Kritenbrink, the US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, has welcomed the announcement of this deal, underscoring the United States’ commitment to upholding freedom of navigation and international law in the region.
Beyond the Philippines, Blinken’s 10-day diplomatic marathon will take him to Vietnam, Laos, Japan, Singapore, and Mongolia, underscoring the strategic significance of the Indo-Pacific region in the Biden administration’s foreign policy agenda. The tour will culminate with Blinken’s participation in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ministerial meeting in Laos, where he is expected to engage in crucial discussions with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.
Kritenbrink emphasized that the overarching objective of this tour is to bolster the United States’ regional stance against an increasingly assertive China. “We’re deepening our bilateral relationships, we’re expanding our allied and partner relationships, which have reached unprecedented heights, and we are creating a latticework of mutually reinforcing partnerships together,” he stated.
In recent years, the United States has significantly intensified its engagement with several countries in Southeast Asia, particularly those embroiled in territorial disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea. President Joe Biden has made expanding US alliances in the region a core tenet of his administration’s foreign policy, and Kritenbrink stressed the bipartisan support on Capitol Hill for this approach.
The Biden administration has doubled down on its engagement in the “Indo-Pacific” region, upgrading ties with several countries and forming the so-called “Quad” alliance, which includes the United States, Japan, Australia, and India. Blinken’s visit to Asia will be his 18th to the region since assuming office more than three years ago, a testament to the administration’s unwavering commitment to the region.
“The message that the Secretary is going to be conveying to the region is that America is all in on the Indo-Pacific,” Kritenbrink asserted.
Beyond the diplomatic engagements, Blinken’s itinerary will also include attending the funeral of late Vietnamese communist leader Nguyen Phu Trong in Hanoi. In Tokyo, Blinken and Austin will participate in a meeting of the “Quad” foreign ministers, focusing on enhancing defense deterrence capabilities.
