Blinken’s Indo-Pacific visit: “stabilization” talks with allies after President Biden’s exit from the race

On July 27, 2024, Secretary Blinken held closed-door talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Vientiane.

They were the first since Anthony Blinken’s visit to Beijing in April. The central focus of their conversation was the military conflicts in Ukraine, Israel, Myanmar, and the South China Sea, as well as the escalating situation on the Korean Peninsula and in the Taiwan Strait, which China supported.

Secretary Blinken’s main political message to Xi Jinping was that Vice President Kamala Harris has a “strong commitment” to defending the rules-based international order — just like President Biden.