TOKYO (JAPAN) – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that China was acting aggressively and repressively, referring to its actions in the East and South China Seas where it has had disputes territorially with Japan and other Asian nations.
Blinken said Beijing was “raising tensions not diminishing them” in the region by its maritime actions and projecting an image over Taiwan.
Blinken is making a visit to Japan and South Korea along with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in an attempt to build Washington’s alliances in Asia, marking a first overseas trip by top level members of President Joe Biden’s administration.
China’s extensive territorial claims in the East and South China Seas have become a topic of importance in an increasingly testy Sino-US relationship and have been an important concern for security in Japan.
Blinken said Beijing was “acting both more repressively at home and more aggressively abroad, including in the East China Sea, including with regard to the Senkakus, as well the South China sea and also with regard to Taiwan”.
“Japan has real interest in what happens with regard to Taiwan and Taiwan’s straits and we spent some time comparing notes on that,” said Blinken describing his Tuesday talks with Japanese officials.
The comments were a reflection of statements issued by Blinken, Austin and their Japanese counterparts after “2+2” talks held in Tokyo on Tuesday and come before Blinken’s first in-person meetings with Chinese counterparts planned for later this week in Alaska.
“We look forward to the opportunity to lay out in very clear terms to our Chinese counterparts some of the concerns that we have about the actions they’re taking,” said Blinken.
After the morning roundtable with emerging Japanese reporters Blinken and Austin were likely to leave for Seoul to hold “2+2” talks with South Korean counterparts until Thursday.