VIENTIANE, Laos: Top diplomats from Southeast Asia met Friday in Laos with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi for talks that come as friction escalates over China’s increasing effort to press its sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea.
Several members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have territorial issues with China, which have led to direct hostilities that many worry could lead to broader skirmish.
Indonesian Minister for Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi stated ahead of meeting with Wang Yi that one wrong step in the South China Sea will turn a very small fire into a dreadful blaze.
ASEAN members countries the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia all have issues with Beijing over its claim of sovereignty over the South China Sea, one of the world’s most important waterways for shipping. Indonesian government also expressed concern regarding what it sees as China’s encroachment on its economic zone.
Washington and its allies, meanwhile, have regularly carried out military exercises and patrols in the region to assert their “free and open Indo-Pacific” policy, including the right to navigate in global waters, drawing criticism from Beijing.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is also taking part in the meetings, and already held meeting with Wang. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was expected to meet with his Chinses counterpart Wang on the sidelines of the meeting.
China’s top diplomat Wang Yi will hold a meeting with his US counterpart Antony Blinken on the sidelines of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) talks in Laos, China’s foreign ministry confirmed on Friday.
In a statement, foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that Foreign Minister Wang Yi will meet with Antony Blinken in Laos. The two top diplomats would discuss issues of common concern during the meeting.
The spokesperson did not provide details when the meeting would take place between the two sides, but said they “will release information in a timely manner about the specific time of the meeting and the circumstances of the interaction. “You can stay tuned,” she added.
