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.