The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) regional bloc warned on Thursday of the risk that volatility caused by tensions in the Taiwan Strait could lead to “miscalculations, serious clashes, open conflicts and consequences. unpredictable between the major powers.
Asean made the remarks in a statement from its foreign ministers after Cambodia urged all sides to ease tensions over Taiwan.
The meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital, of the 10-member bloc, which is joined by a host of senior officials from other countries including China and the United States, was overshadowed by developments in Taiwan following the visit of the US House Speaker. , Nancy Pelosi.
“Asean stands ready to play a constructive role in facilitating peaceful dialogue between all parties,” the organization said, calling for maximum restraint and for all sides to refrain from provocation.
Pelosi’s trip, the highest-profile US visit to self-governing Taiwan in 25 years, sparked outrage in China, which responded with an explosion of military exercises and other activities in the area.
Southeast Asian countries tend to tread a careful line in trying to balance their relations with China and the United States, wary of angering either major power.
In Phnom Penh, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called Pelosi’s visit “manic, irresponsible and highly irrational”, Chinese state TV reported.
Pelosi dismissed Chinese criticism of her visit and a senior US official said Wednesday that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised the prospect of visiting with Wang last month.
Chinese state media said there were no plans for Wang and Blinken to meet in Cambodia.
China’s Foreign Ministry said a meeting between Wang and his Japanese counterpart on the sidelines of the ASEAN meeting had been cancelled, citing discontent over a G7 statement urging China to resolve the tension over Taiwan peacefully.
Blinken did not mention Pelosi’s visit on Thursday in comments to reporters in Cambodia.
After meeting his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Blinken hailed a “shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific”.
Blinken, who is among 27 foreign ministers expected to attend an Asean Regional Forum security meeting on Friday, said his talks with Jaishankar covered “the situation in Sri Lanka, Burma and various other points.” hot”.
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m James Harper, a highly experienced and accomplished news writer for World Stock Market. I have been writing in the Politics section of the website for over five years, providing readers with up-to-date and insightful information about current events in politics. My work is widely read and respected by many industry professionals as well as laymen.
