Antony Blinken's Asian Itinerary: Engaging with U.S. Leadership Transitions and Trade Relations

 

The 11-day tour across Asia by Secretary of State Antony Blinken comes at a time when the United States is truly in a precarious situation following President Joe Biden's decision not to run for re-election. He is expected to visit Vietnam, Laos, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, and Mongolia as part of his trip, having in mind the strengthening of U.S. relations with these nations.

He is due to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at ASEAN-related meetings in Laos. The strategic and security discussions will be followed up in Tokyo and Manila by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. While this visit had been scheduled prior to the news from Biden, it underscores how the engagement of the U.S. with the Indo-Pacific remains very important despite possible changes in presidential leadership.

With Kamala Harris poised to assume the Democratic ticket, questions abound regarding what that means for U.S.-ASEAN trade relations, which are massive, to the tune of $2 trillion annually. Coupled with this are the statements by former President Donald Trump to impose heavy sanctions on Chinese goods and his demand for financial contributions from Taiwan toward its defense, all of which further muddy the prospects for U.S. foreign policy and trade strategies in the region.