The United States will expand its military and economic relationships with partners in Asia to push back against China's increasing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday.

Axar.az reports that Blinken said the Biden administration is committed to maintaining peace and prosperity in the region and will do that by boosting US alliances, forging new relationships and ensuring that the US military maintains “its competitive edge.”

“Threats are evolving, our security approach has to evolve with them. To do that, we will lean on our greatest strength: our alliances and partnerships,” Blinken said in a speech in Indonesia, outlining the administration's Indo-Pacific plans.

“We'll adopt a strategy that more closely weaves together all our instruments of national power — diplomacy, military, intelligence — with those of our allies and partners," he said. That will include linking the US and Asian defence industries, integrating supply chains and cooperating on technological innovation, he said.

“It's about reinforcing our strengths so we can keep the peace, as we have done in the region for decades,” he said.