Jakarta [Indonesia]: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that Washington will continue to play its stabilising role in the Indo-Pacific emphasising that it is the fastest-growing region on the planet. “What happens in this region in the 21st century will shape the trajectory of the world,” said Blinken while delivering remarks on the ‘US and Indo-Pacific’ during an event in Jakarta on Tuesday. Blinken also said that the Indo-Pacific is the fastest-growing region on the planet. “That is why the United States will continue to play its stabilising role in the Indo-Pacific,” he added. The US Secretary of State is on a visit to Indonesia. He met Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Monday. The two leaders discussed how the US and Indonesia can work together to preserve security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific. Blinken’s remarks on the Indo-Pacific comes two days after the Group of Seven (G-7) foreign ministers expressed concerns about Beijing’s “coercive” economic policies. The G-7 foreign ministers on Sunday held talks with their counterparts from the ASEAN countries for the first time, as well as from Australia, South Korea and India, on the second day of the G-7 gathering, apparently to coordinate with the 10-member ASEAN and three other regional powers over policy on China. “We have been clear at this meeting this weekend that we are concerned about the coercive economic policies of China,” Liz Truss said at a G7 news conference in Liverpool.
