Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has expressed an 'Ironclad" U.S. military commitment to defend South Korea and offered fresh assurances of Washington's commitment to beef up its deterrence program to shield its ally from the threat of an increasingly dangerous North Korea.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday wrapped up a high-profile three-day China visit, meeting with President Xi Jinping and generating upbeat responses after a period of severe strains in the bilateral relationship.