Blinken plans to visit Australia, New Zealand and the Kingdom of Tonga

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to head to the South Pacific region next week, according to the US State Department, as Washington seeks to strengthen its presence in countering China's expanding influence.

In a statement, the State Department announced that Blinken will visit the Kingdom of Tonga on July 26 to inaugurate a US embassy there before heading to Australia and New Zealand.

This will mark the first visit by a US Secretary of State to Tonga and comes after Blinken's visit to Papua New Guinea in May, during which he signed a security agreement allowing the US military to operate from bases in the country.

President Joe Biden has pushed for intensified diplomacy with countries in the South Pacific to strengthen his country's alliances in the face of Beijing.

A senior State Department official, who requested anonymity, told reporters, "We are not establishing our embassy there to confront China," adding, "We are fulfilling our promises to enhance our engagement in Tonga and the South Pacific in general."

The official further stated, "We want to be on the ground (...) to explore ways in which we can deepen our cooperation."

The United States places Asia and the Pacific region at the heart of its global strategy as it seeks to counter China's influence.

Conversely, China views the strong US presence and the US military bases scattered throughout the region as unjustified.

From Tonga, Blinken will move on to Wellington, New Zealand, on July 27, where, alongside his diplomatic mission, he plans to attend the US women's national soccer team's match against the Netherlands in the FIFA Women's World Cup.

He will then head to Australia, where he will hold meetings with his Australian counterpart and the Minister of Defense.

In 2021, the United States, Australia, and Britain signed the AUKUS security cooperation agreement, which allowed Canberra to acquire nuclear-powered American submarines, much to China's dissatisfaction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AFP