Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. AFP
WASHINGTON—Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will visit U.S. treaty allies Thailand and the Philippines before attending the annual East Asia summit in Indonesia this month.
The State Department said Wednesday the visits underscore U.S. efforts to strengthen key alliances in the region.
Clinton will first attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Hawaii and hold bilateral meetings with a number of foreign ministers. President Barack Obama will also attend APEC.
After APEC, Clinton will visit Manila on Tuesday to mark the 60th anniversary of the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty. The next day she goes to Bangkok, where Thai authorities are battling severe floods.
Clinton then travels to Bali, attending the East Asia summit with Obama.