WASHINGTON, Feb 6 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will aim with a trip to the Pacific this week to remind the world that Washington's strategic long-term focus remains with the Asia-Pacific region despite an escalating crisis with Russia over Ukraine.

Blinken is due to depart on Monday for Australia, Fiji and Hawaii for meetings with key allies and to reaffirm a commitment to push back against what the United States calls China's growing economic and military "coercion."

Highlights of the week will be a meeting of the informal grouping of Australia, India, Japan and the United States known as the Quad, work to advance diplomatic efforts regarding North Korea and discussions on the concerns over Pacific Islands where U.S. officials believe China wants to establish bases.

Blinken's trip comes days after China and Russia declared a "no limits" strategic partnership at the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics. The United States is engaged in a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics.

It marked the most detailed and assertive statement by China and Russia to work together - and against the United States - to build a new international order based on their own interpretations of human rights and democracy.

Daniel Kritenbrink, the State Department's top diplomat for East Asia, chided Chinese President Xi Jinping during a briefing with journalists ahead of Blinken's trip, saying Xi's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday should have been an opportunity to encourage de-escalation of tensions over Ukraine.

China and Russia pledged mutual protection of core interests - an apparent reference to Russia and Ukraine as well as Taiwan, a self-ruled island that Beijing claims as its own. Their joint statement denounced U.S. moves to counter China through AUKUS, a pact under which the United States and Britain will provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines.