Blinken's Asian Summit Tour: Addressing Regional Tensions and Global Crises

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is attending summits in Laos to discuss human rights in Myanmar, China's actions in the South China Sea, and Ukraine. President Biden postponed accompanying trips due to hurricanes. Concerns over Myanmar's elections and China's support for Russia are top agenda items.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will head to Laos this week to take part in pivotal summits with Asian leaders. The discussions are expected to encompass human rights issues in Myanmar, China's contentious activities in the South China Sea, and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, according to U.S. East Asia diplomat Daniel Kritenbrink.

Despite President Joe Biden's absence from the high-level meetings due to pre-election commitments, Vice President Kamala Harris and Blinken underline the U.S.'s commitment to ASEAN. Originally, Blinken was to accompany Biden to Berlin and Luanda, but hurricanes have redirected those plans.

Blinken's agenda in Vientiane will not formally include meetings with China, although tensions over Beijing's support for Russia and its actions in maritime territories are expected to surface. Concerns about Myanmar's military government's plans for premature elections and the lack of progress in reducing political unrest are also highlighted.

(With inputs from agencies.)