US top diplomat calls for deeper Japan ties, as China, N Korea cast shadow

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday called for deeper economic ties with Japan, as he and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin seek to use their first trip abroad to solidify Asian alliances as a bulwark against China's assertiveness.

Their visit to Tokyo and Seoul is the first overseas outing by top cabinet members of President Joe Biden's team and follows a virtual summit last week of the leaders of the United States, Japan, Australia and India - the Quad alliance.

Issues on the agenda range from freedom of navigation in the South and East China Seas and semiconductor supply-chain security, to North Korean...