Rising Tensions: Blinken's Diplomatic Marathon in Asia

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi during a regional summit in Laos. The two discussed regional issues including the South China Sea and Gaza conflict. Blinken highlighted the successful resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal and urged ongoing cooperation and peace efforts, while also addressing security concerns over U.S. nuclear assets in the Korean peninsula.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Saturday during a regional summit in Laos, hours after criticising Beijing's 'escalating and unlawful actions' in the South China Sea. Blinken and Wang shook hands and exchanged greetings in front of cameras but made no comments before moving to closed-doors talks in what will be their sixth meeting since June 23, when Blinken visited Beijing in a significant sign of improvement for strained relations between the world's two biggest economies.

Though Blinken had singled out China over its actions against U.S. defence ally the Philippines in the South China Sea during a meeting with Southeast Asian counterparts earlier on Saturday, he also lauded the two countries for their diplomacy after Manila completed a resupply mission to troops in an area also claimed by Beijing. The troop presence has for years angered China, which has clashed repeatedly with the Philippines over Manila's missions to a grounded navy ship at the Second Thomas Shoal, causing regional concern about an escalation.

The two sides this week reached an arrangement over how to conduct those missions. 'We are pleased to take note of the successful resupply today of the Second Thomas shoal, which is the product of an agreement reached between the Philippines and China,' Blinken told ASEAN foreign ministers.

(With inputs from agencies.)