Blinken in Australia for Quad meet

Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Australia yesterday to meet Asia-Pacific allies concerned by China's rise and signal United States commitment to the region despite Washington's recent focus on Ukraine.

Blinken will join two days of meetings of the Quad grouping, aiming to strengthen the partnership with India, Australia and Japan as a bulwark against Beijing's growing economic and military might.

The top US diplomat admitted the possibility of Russia invading Ukraine has been "front and centre" for the US government.

However, he insisted that Washington's "pivot" to the Asia-Pacific region in the face of China's challenge is still alive, despite the powerful diversions of crises in the Middle East and now Eastern Europe in recent years.