TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told officials at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Thursday (Sept. 23) that a new and comprehensive new U.S. strategy for the Indo-Pacific region is imminent.

In the aftermath of the withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Biden administration is hoping to pivot on its main foreign policy priority of countering an assertive China in the region, according to a Reuters report.

Speaking with ASEAN counterparts on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, Blinken stated the U.S. strategy would emerge "this fall" and "builds on our shared vision for a free, open, interconnected, resilient and secure region."

"It will reflect Southeast Asia's importance to the Indo-Pacific region and the critical role that ASEAN plays in determining the region's future," he said. The first Indo-Pacific strategy paper, titled, "A Free and Open Indo-Pacific" was released on November 2019 under the Trump administration.

More than simply a geographic area, the term "Indo-Pacific" typically refers to the confluence of interests between India, the U.S., and other major Asian democracies, including Japan, Australia, and Taiwan, who will join in curbing Chinese aggression within the region, per an ISPI report.