Blinken’s Aus tour for Quad meet amid Ukraine tensions daunts experts in China, many say ‘targeting Beijing’ is US’ top priority

Beijing [China], February 7 (ANI): US Secretary of State Antony Blinken‘s upcoming tour to Australia to participate in the Quad Security Dialogue with foreign ministers of the mechanism amid the ongoing Ukraine tensions has raised eyebrows of experts in China with many saying the visit by US officials, at a time when all eyes are focused on Moscow-Kyiv tensions, shows the US still places targeting China on its top priority.

Blinken still decided to visit Asia in spite of the severe situation in Ukraine implies that the focal point of US strategy targeting China remains unchanged, Global Times quoted Xin Qiang, deputy director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University, as saying on Sunday. One of the top items for the Quad meeting is whether the US will promote agendas like the economy within the Quad mechanism as the Biden administration said last year the US deeply believes every agenda could be taken to launch competition with China, said Li Haidong, a professor from the Institute of International Relations of China Foreign Affairs University.

Li also said that there are many uncertainties over whether the assumption from the US can be realized as it has wished, and whether the US can consolidate the quadripartite security dialogue mechanism and run it effectively, according to Global Times. Xin also predicted it is likely the Quad will release statements on China’s internal affairs, including the South China Sea and the Taiwan question as it usually does after a meeting, but the group moving forward to integration and stronger alliance is impossible.

Blinken will travel to Australia, Fiji, and Hawaii from February 7-13 to engage with Indo-Pacific allies and partners to advance peace, resilience, and prosperity across the region and demonstrate that these partnerships deliver, said the US State Department earlier.

In Australia on February 9-12, Secretary Blinken will attend the fourth Quad Foreign Ministers Ministerial Meeting, hosted by Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne. “With our Quad partners, we are delivering results for our populations and the region, including by advancing cooperation on COVID-19 vaccination delivery, humanitarian assistance/disaster relief, maritime security, counter-terrorism, cybersecurity, countering disinformation, climate change, and critical and emerging technologies,” according to the State Department.

Secretary Blinken will meet with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Foreign Minister Payne, Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Hayashi Yoshimasa, Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and other senior officials to discuss a range of bilateral and global priorities. The Secretary will also engage with students, scholars, and technology leaders in Melbourne. (ANI)