Blinken's 6-country Asia tour to show U.S. is 'all in' on region

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will embark on a 10-day tour across six countries in Asia starting Thursday, in what Washington hopes will show a strong commitment to the region.

The visit to Laos, Vietnam, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, and Mongolia is one of his longest foreign trips to date and is intended to signal that U.S. President Joe Biden, and his endorsed successor Vice President Kamala Harris, are "all in" on Asia, Daniel Kritenbrink, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, told a seminar at the American Enterprise Institute Wednesday.