[Source: Reuters]

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will head to Asia this week to reassure allies and partners of U.S. support, the State Department’s top official for Asia said on Monday, as the November U.S. presidential election casts uncertainty over Washington’s foreign policy.

U.S. tensions with China will provide the backdrop to the trip. Blinken is expected to meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of regional meetings in Laos, according to Assistant Secretary of State Dan Kritenbrink, who briefed reporters on the trip.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will head to Asia this week to reassure allies and partners of U.S. support, the State Department’s top official for Asia said on Monday, as the November U.S. presidential election casts uncertainty over Washington’s foreign policy.

U.S. tensions with China will provide the backdrop to the trip. Blinken is expected to meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of regional meetings in Laos, according to Assistant Secretary of State Dan Kritenbrink, who briefed reporters on the trip.

Trump, who has been leading in the polls ahead of the Nov. 5 election, launched a trade war against China while in the White House, and as a candidate has suggested he would impose tariffs of 60% or higher on all Chinese goods.

Trump has signaled he would demand Taiwan boost its defense spending in the face of potential Chinese aggression if elected. Allies of the former president have assured Japan and South Korea he would continue Biden’s engagement with them aimed at countering China and North Korea.

Kritenbrink said Washington welcomed an announcement by Manila on Sunday that it had reached an understanding on the resupply of a Filipino naval ship beached on the Second Thomas Shoal.

In Tokyo, Blinken and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will meet their Japanese counterparts on July 28 to build on the success of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s official visit to Washington in April by focusing on implementation of key outcomes from the prime minister’s visit, he said.

At a summit in April, Japan and the U.S. announced plans to upgrade their military alliance, including the U.S. military command in Japan and more joint development of defense equipment.