Blinken arrives in Laos, set for talks with Chinese foreign minister

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived early Saturday in Laos, where he will attend a regional meeting and hold talks with his Chinese counterpart, part of a multination Asia visit aimed at reinforcing ties with regional allies in the face of an increasingly assertive Beijing.

The top U.S. diplomat is due to meet China's Wang Yi on the sidelines of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers meeting being held in Vientiane.

Blinken has prioritized promoting a "free and open" Asia-Pacific region – a thinly veiled criticism of China's regional economic, strategic and territorial ambitions.

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