ASEAN diplomats meet with China as tensions rise over Beijing's sweeping maritime claims
VIENTIANE, Laos: Top diplomats from Southeast Asia met with China's foreign minister for talks in Laos on Friday, as tensions rise over Beijing's growing efforts to assert its sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea.
Several members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASN) have territorial disputes with China that have led to direct confrontations, and many fear these could develop into larger conflicts.
“One wrong step in the South China Sea can turn a small fire into a terrible firestorm,” said Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi ahead of talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
ASEAN members Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei are all at loggerheads with China over its claim of sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, one of the world's most important shipping lanes. Indonesia has also raised concerns about Beijing's alleged violation of its exclusive economic zone.
Meanwhile, the US and its allies in the region have conducted regular military exercises and patrols to enforce their policy of a “free and open Indo-Pacific”, which includes the right to navigate in international waters, drawing criticism from China.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was scheduled to arrive on Saturday to attend the ASEAN foreign ministers' meetings and was expected to meet with Wang on the sidelines.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is also attending the meetings and has already held direct talks with Wang.
China is a key ally of Russia in the war against Ukraine and Wang stressed the “increasing strategic coordination” between the two countries, the official Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.
Josep Borrell, the European Union's top diplomat, urged ASEAN ministers not to ignore the European conflict in their meetings.
“I realize that Russian aggression against Ukraine seems far away from ASEAN, but its consequences – be it inflation or rising food and oil prices – are also felt by our people, even if Russia is working hard to spread disinformation,” Borrell said.
This year, tensions have escalated between the Philippines – an American treaty partner – and China. In June, a Chinese ship and a Philippine supply vessel collided near the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, raising alarm.
ASEAN members – Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Brunei and Laos – stressed at their opening meetings on Thursday that it was important not to get drawn in as both China and the United States seek to expand their influence in the region.
Following the talks, Marsudi said the group had stressed that it should not act as a proxy for any power, otherwise it would be “difficult for ASEAN to become an anchor for regional stability and peace.”
In his opening remarks at his meeting with ASEAN ministers on Friday, Wang did not mention the South China Sea, but instead emphasized Chinese economic and trade relations.
Nevertheless, the issue was raised and Indonesia urged China to “help maintain peace, stability and prosperity in the region,” the Indonesian Foreign Ministry said.
The ASEAN ministers stressed the importance of completing ongoing work with China on developing a code of conduct for the South China Sea, as issues there continue to be a “stumbling block” in ASEAN-China relations, the ministry said.
“Indonesia's position is consistent that all claims must be resolved peacefully through direct dialogue between the parties concerned,” Marsudi was quoted as saying.
China and the Philippines said on Sunday that they had reached an agreement to end their dispute. The aim is to find a mutually acceptable solution for the disputed area without recognizing the territorial claims of either side.
There are disagreements within ASEAN over how to deal with China's maritime claims, and the Philippines has been critical of the bloc's perceived lack of support.
At Thursday's talks, the Philippines pushed for the June clash to be included in the joint communiqué to be issued at the end of the meetings. Cambodia and Laos, which are close to China, rejected the wording, according to a senior Southeast Asian diplomat who attended the closed-door negotiations and spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter freely.
Manila's proposal states that a recent incident in the South China Sea resulted in “property damage” and “injuries” but does not mention specific details such as the name of the shoal or the state forces involved, the diplomat said.
The increasingly violent civil war in ASEAN member state Myanmar is also one of the main issues, and the group supports a broader role for Thailand, said Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa.
Thailand, which shares a long border with Myanmar, has already provided humanitarian aid. Maris announced that an additional $250,000 will be donated to the ASEAN Coordination Centre for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Management, which is overseeing a plan to deliver aid to Myanmar.
The army in Myanmar overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021 and suppressed widespread nonviolent protests demanding a return to democratic rule, leading to increasing violence and a humanitarian crisis.
ASEAN is pushing for a “five-point consensus” for peace, but Myanmar's military leadership has so far ignored this plan, raising doubts about the bloc's effectiveness and credibility.
It calls for an immediate end to the violence in Myanmar, dialogue between all parties concerned, mediation by an ASEAN Special Envoy, the provision of humanitarian assistance through ASEAN channels, and a visit by the Special Envoy to Myanmar to meet with all parties concerned.
Myanmar is prohibited from sending political representatives to ASEAN meetings. Instead, the country is represented by Aung Kyaw Moe, the permanent secretary of Myanmar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
China, which shares a long border with Myanmar, also plays an important role, supporting the military regime while maintaining close ties with several of the powerful ethnic armed groups currently fighting the regime.
In his opening speech ahead of the ASEAN-China talks, Aung Kyaw Moe praised Beijing highly and promised that the bloc would continue to work to deepen cooperation with China in all areas.
