Humeyra Pamuk & David Brunnstrom

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is planning a visit to the Pacific region this week to emphasize to the world Washington’s strategic long-term focus on the Asia-Pacific region despite Russia’s growing crisis over Ukraine.

Blinken departs Monday for Australia and Fiji to meet with key allies, and to renew his resolve to fight against “coercion,” as the United States refers to China’s increasing economic and military power.

One of the highlights of the week is a meeting with the Quad informal grouping from Australia, India and Japan. This will help to push diplomatic efforts towards North Korea as well as discuss the concern over the Pacific Islands where U.S. officials think China might want to establish bases.

Blinken’s visit comes just days after Russia and China declared an “unlimited” strategic partnership during the Beijing Winter Olympics. The United States has begun a boycott of Beijing Olympics.

It was China’s most explicit and firm statement to Russia of their intention to cooperate – against the United States! – in order to establish a new international order that is based on the respective understandings of democracy, human rights, and democracy.

During a press briefing, Daniel Kritenbrink was the top East Asia diplomat at State Department. He criticized Chinese President Xi Jinping and said that Xi’s meeting Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin could have been used to promote de-escalating tensions in Ukraine.

China and Russia have pledged to each other mutual protection of their core interests. It appears that this refers both to Russia and Ukraine, as well Taiwan which Beijing claim as its own. In a joint statement, they denounced U.S. efforts to combat China using AUKUS. The pact in which Australia and Britain receive nuclear-powered submarines from the United States is referred to as “Aukus”.

‘MAINTAIN FOCUS’

Charles Edel is an expert in Asia and Australia from the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He noted that Blinken has traveled to Australia despite tensions with Russia over Ukraine and the intensified diplomacy of NATO member countries.

Edel stated that Edel’s visit “underlines just how crucial -and how difficult – it for Washington to keep focus on the Indo-Pacific.”

U.S.-Chinese ties at the lowest point for decades are a result of disagreements over many issues, such as Hong Kong and China’s treatment Uyghurs from the Xinjiang Region and South China Sea. Russia’s possible invasion of Ukraine is the greatest threat to major conflicts in Europe since the end of the Cold War.

The four nations will discuss ways to achieve their objectives, including providing COVID-19 vaccinations for Southeast Asia and climate policy at the Quad meeting. This is ahead of the expected summit in Japan in May that President Joe Biden intends to attend.

Climate policy and the security and stability of the Pacific region will be discussed at meetings between Fiji’s prime Minister and leaders from Pacific Island countries. It is likely that China will speak out about its ambitions in this region.

Daniel Russel was the U.S.’s top diplomat in East Asia under former President Barack Obama. He is currently with the Asia Society Policy Institute.

Legislators from Kiribati, a Pacific Island nation, stated last year that China plans to improve an airstrip located on one of the remote islands 1,860miles (3,000km) south of Hawaii. China would have a strong foothold in territory that is firmly aligned to the United States of America and its allies since World War Two.

America has stated that the AUKUS agreement and expansion of Quad cooperation are evidences of its Indo-Pacific commitment.

However, analysts believe that Trump’s departure from the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership is continuing to reduce U.S. engagement in a region where China is their largest trading partner.

Russel stated that the QUAD ministerial’s timing and content are determined by the shared agenda of four countries – namely, to outcompete China and offer the region better options.

Biden had told Asian leaders last October that the United States would start talks on an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. But, few details were revealed and Biden’s administration was reluctant to give the greater market access Asian countries demand, citing this as threating American jobs.

Blinken in Hawaii will host Japanese as well as South Korean counterparts. They will discuss North Korea. The country has launched a number of missiles this year. There are fears it might return to testing nuclear bombs.