INDONESIA: On Thursday, Southeast Asia’s regional bloc, ASEAN, warned that rising tensions around the Taiwan Strait could lead to “miscalculation, serious confrontation, open conflicts and unpredictable consequences among major powers.”
Foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have made the aforementioned statements after the ASEAN’s chair, Cambodia, strongly urged all parties who may be involved or attempting to become involved in the Taiwan issue to refrain from taking any military or political actions that could endanger or worsen tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
The meeting held in Phnom Pehn, attended by a slew of essential partner countries, including the US and its arch nemesis, China, is overwhelmed by recent developments in Taiwan since US Speaker Nancy Pelosi descended on Taipei and irked China along the way.
ASEAN has called for complete inaction from all neighbouring countries and other significant superpowers to refrain from inciting military conflict and igniting further political tensions. It also clarified its stance: “ASEAN stands ready to play a constructive role in facilitating peaceful dialogue between all parties.”
The highly controversial Pelosi trip, the first in nearly 25 years, was a matter of much unease and disgust for China, who retaliated with import sanctions and military drills.
Southeast powers tend to tread lightly, as they refuse to engage upfront with the two warring significant superpowers, the US and China.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, after interacting with his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, said he had been able to exchange notes with a fellow partner “as we head into these very important ASEAN meetings.”
He also added, “We have a shared vision together for a free and open Indo-Pacific.” Apparently, Blinken is not expected to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Cambodia anytime soon.
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