The United States remains focused long-term on the Indo-Pacific region despite concerns over Russian aggression toward Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday.
Mr. Blinken is in the Australian city of Melbourne for a meeting on Friday with his counterparts from Australia, India and Japan. The four nations form the“Quad,” a bloc of Indo-Pacific democracies that was created to counter China’s influence.
“There are a few other things going on in the world right now, some of you may have noticed. We have a bit of a challenge with Ukraine and Russian aggression. We’re working 24/7 on that,” Mr. Blinken said in his first public address since arriving in Australia on Wednesday.
“But we know, the President knows and each of you knows this better than anyone else, that so much of this century is going to be shaped by what happens here in the Indo-Pacific region,” he added.
Shared vision
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 the world’s population, Mr. Blinken said. What matters in the region matters around the world and challenges like climate change and COVID-19 can’t 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,” Mr. Blinken said. “What really drives us is a shared vision” of a “free and open society”, he added.
Mr. Blinken’s trip is designed to reinforce America’s interests in Asia and its intent to push back against increasing Chinese assertiveness in the region. He will also visit Fiji and discuss pressing concerns about North Korea with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts in Hawaii.
Mr. Blinken said like-minded countries were standing up for shared values rather than against China. “This is not about standing against anyone in particular, it is about standing up for a rules-based order,” Mr. Blinken told Australian Broadcasting Corp.
Asked whether the Biden administration viewed Russia or China as the greater threat to global security, Mr. Blinken replied: “These are … very different challenges. Russia right now poses an immediate challenge.”
