NEW YORK -- President Joe Biden said on Tuesday the U.S. will continue to strengthen its network of alliances and partnerships across the Indo-Pacific, describing them as "building blocks" for a free, open, secure and peaceful region, in his fourth and final address to the United Nations General Assembly.
"These partnerships are not against any nation," he told world leaders, responding to criticism from China, which sees groupings such as the Quad -- a four-way partnership of the U.S., Japan, India and Australia -- as a tool to contain Beijing and perpetuate American hegemony.
