 "ASEAN leaders meet in Laos. Reuters")
The Asia summit in Laos culminated in a clash between the US and its allies over wide-ranging issues. From the Ukraine war to maritime disputes, world leaders agreed and disagreed over policies or politics.
The East Asia Summit came on the heels of meetings of the ASEAN bloc, where the Philippines has led the charge in criticising Beijing’s actions in the hotly disputed South China Sea.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, meeting ASEAN leaders before the full summit, reiterated calls for freedom of navigation in the bustling waterway.
“We remain concerned about China’s increasingly dangerous and unlawful actions on the South and East China Seas, which have injured people, harmed vessels from ASEAN nations and contradict commitments to peaceful resolution of disputes,” Blinken said.
China’s territorial claims over the South China Sea came up a lot during meetings and discussions. The country has been ejecting efforts by the Philippines from a trio of strategically important reefs and islands.
Blinken issued a warning to China regarding Taiwan, where the newly appointed leader delivered a yearly address, pledging that the self-governing democracy would oppose any attempts at annexation.
The Russia-US tussle
During the summit, tensions between the US and Russia were palpable with Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov choosing not to face each other.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“I think it’s safe to say that we heard each other. I didn’t hear anything new, unfortunately, about the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine,” Blinken said.
While Lavrov told reporters that the United States was “destructive” in Asia.
Despite disagreements, tensions over the past year have markedly eased between China and the United States, with President Joe Biden supporting dialogue to reduce the potential for conflict.
Focus on South China Sea
Blinken addressed America’s “concern” over China’s “increasingly dangerous and unlawful” activities in the disputed South China Sea.
“We are very concerned about China’s increasingly dangerous and unlawful activities in the South China Sea which have injured people, harm vessels from ASEAN nations and contradict commitments to peaceful resolutions of disputes,” said Blinken, who is filling in for President Joe Biden, in his opening speech at the US-ASEAN summit. “The United States will continue to support freedom of navigation, and freedom of overflight in the Indo-Pacific.”
While the US does not stake claim over the South China Sea, it has deployed its navy to ward off Chinese threats in the region.
And therefore, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the US and other military presences from outside the region were the main source of instability in the sea.
With inputs from agencies