US Secretary of State Antony Blinken begins a brief tour of Asia on Sunday in South Korea. He will also take him to the Philippines, two key allies with whom the U.S.
is seeking to strengthen relations. Talks with local officials are planned, including President Ferdinand Marcos, focusing on the threat posed by China. The latter recently accused the United States of using the Philippines as a “pawn” in the South China Sea, after several incidents around islets that the two Asian countries bitterly dispute.