INTERNATIONAL: United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken has reiterated on Tuesday a strong U.S. commitment to its strategic partnership with Indonesia, vowing to "deepen" maritime cooperation with Southeast Asia's most populous country.

Blinken has made the remarks after a meeting with Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi and the signing of several joint agreements.

During his trip to the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, Blinken has described the Indo-Pacific as the world's most dynamic region and said everyone had a stake in ensuring a status quo that was without coercion and intimidation, in a barely veiled reference to China.

Blinken is making his first visit to Southeast Asia since President Joe Biden took office in January, a trip aimed at shoring up relations after a period of uncertainty about U.S. commitment to Asia under the administration of Donald Trump.