The United States remains focused long-term on the Indo-Pacific region despite concerns over Russian aggression toward the Ukraine, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday.
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 so-called 바카라Quad,바카라 a bloc of Indo-Pacific democracies that was created to counter China's regional influence.
바카라There 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,바카라 Blinken said in his first public address since arriving in Australia on Wednesday.
바카라But we know, the president 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,바카라 he added.
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, 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.
바카라More 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,바카라 Blinken said.
바카라What really drives us is a shared vision바카라 of a 바카라free and open society,바카라 he added.
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.
Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, who will chair the Quad meeting, said the agenda would include Covid-19 vaccine distribution, cyber and critical technologies, countering malicious and dangerous disinformation, terrorism, maritime security and climate change.
바카라As a network of liberal democracies, we are committed to very practical cooperation and ensuring that all Indo-Pacific nations 바카라 large and small 바카라 are able to make their own strategic decisions and make those decisions free from coercion,바카라 Payne said.
In Beijing on Wednesday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian responded to a question about Blinken's visit with a lengthy attack on American democracy and a defense of China's contributions to the global order.
바카라With its so-called democracy having collapsed long ago, the U.S. is forcing other countries to accept the standards of the American democracy, drawing lines with democratic values and piecing together cliques. That is a complete betrayal of democracy,바카라 Zhao told reporters at a daily briefing.
