US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to arrive in Jakarta on Thursday for the Asean foreign ministers’ meetings taking place against the backdrop of US-China tensions over Taiwan, territorial disputes, and the conflict in Myanmar.
(Bloomberg) — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to arrive in Jakarta on Thursday for the Asean foreign ministers’ meetings taking place against the backdrop of US-China tensions over Taiwan, territorial disputes, and the conflict in Myanmar.
Blinken is scheduled to meet with China’s diplomat Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations forum, extending a string of high-profile meetings intended to dial down differences between the two countries. Asian leaders have expressed concerns over the prospect of an accident in the Taiwan Strait spiraling into a military conflict.
The Asean forum follows diplomatic breakthroughs at this week’s NATO summit in Lithuania, an effort seen as a direct affront to Moscow while its biggest backer, Beijing, has been critical of the US-led alliance for attempting to stoke bloc confrontation in Asia.
Asean has deepened ties with South Korea and Japan, both of which are likely to raise concerns over China when they meet with Southeast Asian leaders on Thursday.
(All times local)
Australia Addresses Potential Delay of PM Visit to Beijing (1:50 p.m.)
Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong avoided directly commenting on reports that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is considering delaying his trip to Beijing, only saying the visit would happen “at an appropriate time.”
“Of course we would want the most positive circumstances for such a visit,” Wong said. The foreign minister has been openly critical of the Hong Kong government’s decision to put bounties on two pro-democracy activists living in Australia, while Beijing earlier this week extended its review of punitive sanctions on Australian barley.
Asean Asks China to Be ‘Open and Inclusive’ (12:03 p.m.)
Group wants China to be a “staunch partner in maintaining an open and inclusive regional architecture,” according to the readout of the China-Asean meeting. It also sought Beijing’s continued support for the implementation of the Asean Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, including the upcoming ASEAN Indo-Pacific Infrastructure Forum in September.
Lavrov Tweets Photo Surrounded by Journalists (11:39 a.m.)
Russia’s foreign ministry used a photo of its chief, Sergei Lavrov, standing with a group of journalists to attack the West, tweeting: “If this is the ‘isolation’ Western media is daydreaming so much about, then the only one left isolated is the West itself.”
Russia Asked to Commit to Food Security (10:56 a.m.)
Southeast Asia will push Russia to commit to a proposed declaration on food security amid shortages caused by the ongoing war in Ukraine, according to Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi at a ministerial conference. Indonesia will “work tirelessly to call for a peaceful resolution” to the conflict, she said, according to the transcript.
Asean to Invite PIF, IORA to East Asia Summit (10:53 a.m.)
Asean to engage with members of the Pacific Islands Forum and the Indian Ocean Rim Association and invite them to the East Asia Summit, according to a readout of the India-Asean meeting.
Blinken-Wang Yi Meeting (8:34 a.m.)
The two diplomats are scheduled to meet at 5:15 p.m. local time. China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang will skip the gathering due to his “physical condition,” according to the foreign ministry spokesman on July 11.
China, Russia, Indonesia Diplomats Meet (10:49 p.m.)
Wang, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi exchanged views on international and regional issues on Wednesday, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing. The three also discussed food and energy security and called for ensuring smooth supply chains for developing countries.
Indonesia Stresses Dialogue (5:15 p.m.)
Marsudi stressed the need to ramp up dialogue amid growing regional tensions during a trilateral meeting with Wang and Lavrov. Indonesia has sought to play a mediator role in the ongoing war in Ukraine with President Joko Widodo making visits to both Kyiv and Moscow last year.
“In today’s world full of challenges, we really need to have more dialogue and more collaboration,” she said.
–With assistance from Chandra Asmara and Ben Westcott.
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