「中国の攻撃や脅威に対抗」　日韓歴訪の米２閣僚が寄稿

　【ワシントン時事】１５日から日本と韓国を歴訪するブリンケン米国務長官とオースティン国防長官は１４日付の米紙ワシントン・ポスト（電子版）に寄稿し、「中国の攻撃や脅威に対抗しなければならない」と述べ、バイデン政権の対中強硬姿勢を鮮明にした。同盟国の日韓などと連携することで、中国に対する米国の立場はより強力になると訴えた。
　バイデン政権が最初の閣僚外遊先として日韓両国を選んだことについて、米国が友好国や国際機関との関係の再活性化に取り組んでいるというメッセージをインド太平洋地域に伝えるのが狙いだと説明。単独で行動するよりも、同盟国と連携することで「米国ははるかに多くのことを達成できる」と強調した。（2021/03/15-14:46）

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin have highlighted the importance of cooperation with their country's allies, including Japan and South Korea, to counter China.
   The United States is "making a big push to revitalize our ties with friends and partners--both in one-to-one relationships and in multilateral institutions--and to recommit to our shared goals, values and responsibilities," the two officials said in a joint opinion piece in the online edition of The Washington Post.
   Blinken and Austin released the comment ahead of their visit to Japan and South Korea from Monday, which marks the first overseas trip by cabinet-level officials in U.S. President Joe Biden's administration.
   The purpose of their tour is to "bring that message to the Indo-Pacific region," the opinion said, adding that the United States can "achieve far more" with its allies than without them.
   Blinken and Austin said, "The Indo-Pacific region is increasingly the center of global geopolitics" with several established and rising powers and busy sea lanes.