In the wake of his mini-tour of the Middle East, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Japan, South Korea and India next week, the State Department announced Wednesday evening. He is expected to visit Israel on Friday and Jordan this weekend as the conflict between Israel and Hamas rages on. During his tour of Asia, he intends to strengthen support for Ukraine in the face of Russia and advance U.S. interests in the Asia-Pacific vis-à-vis China, according to a statement.
In Tokyo on Monday and Tuesday, he will attend a meeting of G7 countries and meet with Japanese officials.
The North Korean challenge
In Seoul on Wednesday and Thursday, the focus will be on the challenge posed by nuclear-armed North Korea and its growing ties with Russia, according to the statement. This will be his first trip to South Korea since 2021. Seoul and Washington are strengthening defense cooperation against North Korea's growing ballistic and nuclear threats.
Finally, in India on 10 November, the US Secretary of State will participate in a meeting in the "two plus two" format accompanied by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin with their Indian counterparts. The U.S. has strengthened ties with its Indian partner following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent state visit to the United States.