US Secretary of State Blinken begins longest Asia tour to reassure allies

Blinken’s trip is meant to signal to US allies that President Joe Biden is “all in” on Indo-Pacific security concerns, a US State Department official said, especially after political uncertainty over Biden ending his reelection campaign. Washington has been criticized for not keeping up with its avowed commitment to Southeast Asia, and letting it play second fiddle to its China policy, The Diplomat noted. Biden’s administration has notably been striking military alliances in Asia to counter Beijing, The New York Times wrote. On trade, however, the US still prioritizes China, leaving Asian allies to wonder: “How can the United States hope to compete with China when its economic commitment is so lackluster?”

Observers are closely watching Blinken’s visit to Vietnam, which has been described by some as a “swing state” in the US-China bid for influence in the region, Nikkei wrote. His presence there underscores the improvement in relations between the two former foes over the past year, The Diplomat wrote; Hanoi and Washington announced a new partnership last September to strengthen cooperation across trade, politics, and diplomacy.

Blinken’s trip comes at a turbulent time in US politics; he has already had to delay his schedule twice. US allies in Asia and elsewhere are worried about a second Donald Trump presidency, The New York Times reported, given his complaints that the US spends too much money to defend them, and some allies believe the presumptive Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris, is unlikely to defeat him. Southeast Asian countries have long tried not to side too openly with either the US or China, the Japan Times wrote. That could continue under Harris, who is largely expected to follow in Biden’s foreign policy footsteps, but under Trump, escalating tensions means those countries may have to “take sides.”