The top diplomats from Southeast Asia convened on Saturday in Laos to discuss increasing tensions in the South China Sea, the escalating conflict in Myanmar, and regional rivalries. The meetings brought together allies of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including the USA, China, Russia, Japan, India, and Australia, in an effort to strengthen relations and address critical security issues.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in the capital, Vientiane, and is expected to meet with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, as both countries seek to expand their influence in the region. During his address to foreign ministers from the ten member states, Blinken criticized China’s “escalating and unlawful actions against the Philippines” in the South China Sea. The Philippines has been involved in a longstanding territorial dispute with China over parts of these vital waters, through which trillions of dollars in trade pass annually. Other ASEAN members such as Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei also have disagreements with China regarding its claims of sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea.
Blinken is set to discuss economic cooperation and the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar, according to a statement from the U.S. State Department. No major announcements are expected, as there are divided opinions among ASEAN members on how to address China’s maritime claims. Many fear that direct confrontations could lead to a broader conflict. Indonesia has also expressed concern about what it perceives as Beijing’s encroachment in its exclusive economic zone.
The Philippine government has been critical of what it sees as a lack of support from ASEAN. However, in a rare agreement, China and the Philippines announced that they had reached a deal aimed at de-escalating the situation without relinquishing each other’s territorial claims. Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo stated after a meeting with Wang that they had agreed to “honor the temporary agreement in a clear and sincere effort.”
On Saturday, the Philippines conducted a resupply mission to its troops at a contested shoal in the South China Sea without confronting Chinese forces, which was praised by Blinken. Additionally, Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong urged Myanmar’s military leaders to end the intensified civil war and adhere to their commitments under ASEAN’s consensus peace plan. “We see the instability, the uncertainty, the deaths, the pain that the conflict causes,” Wong told reporters.