Washington: US State Secretary Antony Blinken will visit Tokyo on Monday to offer condolences to the Japanese people on the death of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, State Department said. During his visit to Japan, Blinken will also meet senior Japanese officials.
"Secretary Blinken will travel to Tokyo, Japan, to offer condolences to the Japanese people on the death of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo and to meet with senior Japanese officials. The U.S.-Japan Alliance is the cornerstone of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and has never been stronger," the press release said.
Blinken left Bali, Indonesia after attending the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting. During the G20 meeting, Blinken reinforced US' commitment to working with international partners to confront global challenges, including food and energy insecurity and the threat Russia's continued war against Ukraine presents to the international order.
In addition to attending G20-related engagements, the Secretary held bilateral meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi. Among other bilateral engagements, Secretary Blinken also met with the People's Republic of China (PRC) State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the margins of the G20.
Blinken's meeting with Wang Yi in Bali was a bid to reinforce guardrails on the relationship between Washington and Beijing that had become fraught with hostility. "In a relationship as complex and consequential as the one between the United States and China, there is a lot to talk about. I very much am looking forward to a productive and construction conversation with you." said Blinken according to a statement by the US State Department ahead of the meeting.