Blinken headed to Asia to reaffirm US leadership: Official

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Asia this week in a bid to assert US leadership against the backdrop of China's rising influence, an official said Monday.

The message of Blinken's trip starting Wednesday is that "America is all in on the Indo-Pacific from day one of this administration. We have significantly and dramatically stepped up our engagement," said Daniel Kritenbrink, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs.

Blinken will visit Laos, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore and Mongolia.

AFP