Blinken arrives in Indonesia and begins South-East Asia tour with China in focus and eye on Myanmar

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken talks with Indonesia's President Joko Widodo (right) during their meeting at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Monday, Dec 13, 2021. - AFP

Jakarta, Dec 13, 2021 (AFP): US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday began a South-East Asia tour in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, where he will outline Washington's policy on the Indo-Pacific, a key US-China battleground.

Arriving from Britain after a G7 foreign ministers' meeting dominated by tensions with Russia, Blinken will highlight what his administration says is the importance of South-East Asia in US foreign policy.