U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken goes to Asia next week for talks with Indo-Pacific allies, including a meeting of foreign ministers of the four-nation Quad, the State Department said Friday.
Blinken is making the trip despite the mounting crisis over Ukraine and policy analysts say the aim is to show the Indo-Pacific region support and that pushing back against China's expanding influence remains Washington's top priority.
Blinken will leave Washington on Monday and be in Australia from Feb.9-12 for the meeting of "The Quad" — the United States, Japan, India and Australia.