Blinken to accompany Biden during Japan visit; to launch Indo-Pacific Economic Framework

US State Secretary Antony Blinken will travel along with President Joe Biden to Japan's busy capital Tokyo from May 21 to 24, State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement. Toger with Biden, he will launch Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, which would see US negotiating tre deals with its geopolitical rival China. It would mark Biden’s maiden trip to Asia after taking presidential office in January last year. 

" Secretary and Foreign Minister will discuss our global response to President Putin’s continued brutal war on Ukraine, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s increasingly destabilizing behaviour, and U.S.-Japan cooperation under new Economic Policy Consultative Committee (EPCC), including on regional economic development,” statement re.

China closely following IPEF

Meanwhile, China has said that it is closely following Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) proposed by US, country’s foreign ministry said on Thursday. dressing press reporters, spokesperson for ministry asserted that any kind of regional cooperation should not target any third party or harm ir interests. His remarks came as Joe Biden ministration picked negotiators for proposed economic initiative ahe of its visit to region.

Beijing has been accused of attempting to alter status quo in Indo-pacific region. While Xi Jinping ministration claims sovereign rights over a majority of South China Sea and its islands, US has increased its maritime patrolling stressing that it was only practising its freedom to navigate. Meanwhile, White House confirmed that its chamber of commerce will play a key role in economic negotiations. Notably, Sharon Yuan, a veteran of Treasury Department who worked on abandoned Trans-Pacific Partnership, has been hired to oversee staff work on main points of Indo-Pacific Economic Framework or IPEF. 

Earlier last week,  US-China Commission (USCC) voiced its concern that tre and investment with Beijing are not just economic challenges but it also poses national security threats. Commissioner Carolyn Bartholomew said in her opening statement on "China's Activities and Influence in South and Central Asia" that Beijing has used guarantees of economic assistance, development aid and investment to help secure its strategic interests in or countries but China's economic diplomacy is fraught with danger. She furr stated that China has a variety of interests in South and Central Asian regions, including economic interests, such as gaining access to natural resources and developing new export markets.  

(Image: AP)