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SE Asian Diplomats Meet With China 07/26 06:14
VIENTIANE, Laos (AP) -- Top diplomats from Southeast Asia met Friday in Laos
with China's foreign minister for talks that come as friction escalates over
Beijing's growing effort to press its sweeping maritime claims in the South
China Sea.
Several members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have
territorial disputes with China, which have led to direct confrontations that
many worry could lead to broader conflict.
"One wrong step in the South China Sea will turn a small fire into a
terrible firestorm," Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said ahead of
the talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
ASEAN members Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei all have
conflicts with China over its claim of sovereignty over virtually all of the
South China Sea, one of the world's most crucial waterways for shipping.
Indonesia has also expressed concern about what it sees as Beijing's
encroachment on its exclusive economic zone.
The United States and its allies, meanwhile, have regularly conducted
military exercises and patrols in the area to assert their "free and open
Indo-Pacific" policy, including the right to navigate in international waters,
drawing criticism from China.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was to arrive Saturday to attend the
ASEAN foreign ministers' meetings and was expected to meet with Wang on the
sidelines.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is also attending the meetings, and
already held direct talks with Wang.
China is a key ally of Russia's in its war against Ukraine, and Wang
emphasized the "deepening strategic coordination" between the two nations,
China's official Xinhua News Agency reported.
Josep Borrell, the European Union's top diplomat, urged the ASEAN ministers
not to ignore the European conflict as they hold their meetings.
"I am aware that the Russian aggression against Ukraine may seem far away
from ASEAN, but its consequences, be it in inflation or increase in food and
oil prices, are also felt by our populations, even if Russia works hard to
spread disinformation," Borrell said.
This year, tensions between the Philippines -- an American treaty ally ---
and China have escalated. In June, a Chinese vessel and a Philippine supply
ship collided near the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea,
sparking alarm.
The ASEAN members -- Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam,
Malaysia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Brunei and Laos -- emphasized in their opening
meetings Thursday that it's important they don't get drawn in as both China and
the U.S. look to expand their influence in the region.
Following the talks, Marsudi said the group stressed that it should not be a
proxy for any power, otherwise "it will be difficult for ASEAN to become an
anchor for regional stability and peace."
Wang did not mention the South China Sea in his opening remarks as he met
with the ASEAN ministers Friday, instead emphasizing Chinese economic and trade
ties.
But the issue did come up, with Indonesia imploring China to "participate in
maintaining peace, stability and prosperity in the region," Indonesia's Foreign
Ministry said.
The ASEAN ministers emphasized the importance of completing ongoing work
with China on preparing a South China Sea code of conduct, as issues there
continue to be a "stumbling block" in ASEAN relations with China, the ministry
said.
"Indonesia's position is consistent, namely that all claims must be resolved
peacefully through direct dialogue between the parties concerned," it quoted
Marsudi as saying.
China and the Philippines said Sunday they had reached a deal that they hope
will end their confrontations, aiming to establish a mutually acceptable
arrangement for the disputed area without conceding each side's territorial
claims.
There are divisions within ASEAN on how to deal with China's maritime claims
and the Philippines has been critical over a perceived lack of support from the
bloc.
In Thursday's talks, the Philippines pushed for the inclusion of June's
collision in the joint communique to be issued at the end of the meetings.
Cambodia and Laos, which are close to China, opposed the wording, according to
a senior Southeast Asian diplomat who was involved in closed-door negotiations
and spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter freely.
Manila's proposal stated that a recent incident in the South China Sea
caused "damage to properties" and "caused injuries" without mentioning specific
details like the name of the shoal and the contending state forces, the
diplomat said.
The increasingly violent civil war in ASEAN member state Myanmar is also one
of the main issues being taken up, and the group supported Thailand taking a
broader role, Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa said.
Thailand, which shares a long border with Myanmar, has already been involved
in providing humanitarian assistance. Maris announced another $250,000 will be
donated to the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance on
Disaster Management that is overseeing a plan to deliver aid into Myanmar.
The army in Myanmar ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in
February 2021 and suppressed widespread nonviolent protests that sought a
return to democratic rule, leading to increasing violence and a humanitarian
crisis.
ASEAN has been pushing a "five-point consensus" for peace, but the military
leadership in Myanmar has so far ignored the plan, raising questions about the
bloc's efficiency and credibility.
It calls for the immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar, a dialogue
among all concerned parties, mediation by an ASEAN special envoy, provision of
humanitarian aid through ASEAN channels, and a visit to Myanmar by the special
envoy to meet all concerned parties.
Myanmar has been blocked from sending political representatives to ASEAN
meetings and is instead represented by Aung Kyaw Moe, the permanent secretary
of Myanmar's Foreign Ministry.
China, which also shares a long border with Myanmar, also plays an important
role in that it supports the military regime while also maintaining close
contacts with several of the powerful ethnic armed groups that are currently
fighting against it.
In his opening statement ahead of talks between ASEAN and China, Aung Kyaw
Moe had effusive praise for Beijing, pledging that the bloc would continue to
work to deepen cooperation with China in all areas.
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