U.S. Secretary of State: 'Confrontation with China is not inevitable'

Confrontation with China is not inevitable, but the United States, along with its allies, must defend the rules-based system that is threatened by Chinese aggression. This was stated by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, according to AP.

In response to the question of whether confrontation with China is inevitable in the Indo-Pacific region, Blinken said, 'Nothing is inevitable.'

'I think we share the concern that China has been behaving more aggressively at home in recent years and even more aggressively in the region and perhaps beyond,' he added.

According to him, the Quad partners (the U.S., Australia, India, and Japan) are united by 'a positive vision of what the future can bring' and 'a commitment to defending the rules-based system that we have invested tremendous time and effort in building.'

Blinken's visit is aimed at supporting American interests in Asia and intends to counter China's growing assertiveness in the region. He will also visit Fiji and discuss urgent issues related to North Korea with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts.