Antony Blinken discusses China, Afghan & Iran with UK counterpart Elizabeth Truss

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Elizabeth Truss, the UK's newly-appointed Foreign Secretary on September 17 and discussed many pertinent subjects, including Afghanistan, China, and Iran. This information was provided by State Department spokesman Ned Price. Blinken congratulated Truss on his appointment and emphasised the importance of the bilateral partnership between the United States and the United Kingdom.

According to Ned Price, the two leaders also discussed foreign policy issues concerning Afghanistan, the People's Republic of China, Iran, and multilateral climate cooperation. The conversation comes as US President Joe Biden and the leaders of two other countries unveiled the newly created Australia-UK-US (AUKUS) Defense Partnership Agreement, which focuses on the Indo-Pacific, on Wednesday.

Experts believe there is a method to offset China's escalating military assertiveness in the region without directly confronting it. The Indo-Pacific region, which includes the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea, is viewed primarily as a portion of the western and central Pacific Ocean. China's territorial claims in the South China Sea have also been contested, as have its aspirations to expand into the Indian Ocean.

Meanwhile, Pentagon apologises for Kabul drone strike, calls it ‘Tragic’

On a recent development, the Pentagon confessed that it made a grave mistake in a drone operation in Afghanistan last month that killed a large number of civilians. Pentagon said that a review revealed that only civilians, not Islamic State terrorists, were killed in the attack. According to the article, US Marine Corps Gen. Kenneth McKenzie stated at a Pentagon press conference that the bombing was a mistake. For several days now, Pentagon officials had been defending the strike on August 28. Despite the fact that ten civilians, including seven children, were killed in this strike, it was claimed that it was carried out correctly.

Blinken’s stand on Pakistan

Earlier on September 13, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had said that the US will examine its relationship with Pakistan in the coming weeks to determine what role it should play in the future of Afghanistan. Blinken told the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee that Pakistan has a "multiplicity of interests, some of which conflict with ours," in the first public hearing on Afghanistan since the collapse of the US-backed Afghan government last month.

(With inputs from ANI)

Image: AP