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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is heading to Australia to attend meetings with counterparts from Australia, India and Japan focused on maritime security and cyber security cooperation, as well as ways to counter “aggression and blackmail”. In the Indo-Pacific region.
The four countries have formed a security alliance.
It’s the first time Mr Blinken has been to Australia since the announcement of an expanded tripartite security partnership between Australia, Britain and the United States, known as AUKUS, in September, VOA reports.
Part of the partnership is an agreement to build submarines for Australia, as part of measures to curb China’s military expansion in the Indo-Pacific region.
In Beijing, Chinese officials have expressed concern about the Quartet and AUKUS. A spokesman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Zhao Lijian, said any regional cooperation “should not target a third party.” Mr Zhao also called AUKUS an “extremely irresponsible” pact.
During his week-long trip, Mr. Blinken will also visit Fiji and Honolulu, Hawaii.
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