Blinken speaks with new UK Foreign Secy, discusses Afghanistan, China

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with newly appointed UK Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss on Friday and discussed issues including Afghanistan, China and Iran.

In a press statement, State Department Spokesperson Ned Price informed that Blinken congratulated Truss on her appointment and highlighted the importance of the US-UK bilateral ties.

The US State Secretary also reaffirmed their partnership in supporting democracy, the rules-based international order, and open societies worldwide, the spokesperson said.

"Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with UK Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss. Secretary Blinken congratulated Foreign Secretary Truss on her appointment and highlighted the importance of the United States-UK bilateral relationship in supporting democracy, the rules-based international order, and open societies worldwide," Price said in a statement on Friday.

Both leaders also discussed shared foreign policy priorities including Afghanistan, the People's Republic of China, Iran, and multilateral engagement to tackle the climate crisis, Price said.

This comes as US President Joe Biden and leaders of two other nations launched the newly-formed AUKUS (Australia-UK-US) defence partnership pact on Wednesday that focuses on the Indo-Pacific.

Experts believe it is a veiled way of confronting China's growing military aggression in the region.

Indo-Pacific region is largely viewed as an area comprising the Indian Ocean and the western and central Pacific Ocean, including the South China Sea. China's territorial claims in the South China Sea and its efforts to advance into the Indian Ocean are seen to have challenged the established rules-based system.