On Thursday, defence chiefs from Southeast Asia convened in Laos alongside counterparts from China, the United States, and other nations for pivotal security discussions. These talks unfold against the backdrop of Beijing’s increasingly assertive actions in asserting its claims over the majority of the South China Sea, a development that has escalated regional confrontations.
The closed-door sessions brought U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun into the same forum, despite Dong’s prior refusal to engage in a one-on-one meeting with Austin on the sidelines of the ASEAN defense ministers’ summit.As the U.S. and China endeavor to mend strained military-to-military communication channels, Austin expressed regret over Dong’s decision, describing it as “a setback for the entire region.”
A statement made by Chinese authorities expressed their irritation as regards the most recent U.S. actions, which pertain to Taiwan, a self-ruled island claimed by Beijing as its integral part. The US has jacked up tensions between the two countries after it approved $2 billion arms sales package including state-of-the-art surface-to-air missile system to Taiwan.The United States can’t ignore China’s core interests regarding the Taiwan problem and at the same time keep military communication with China as if there had been no provocation,”
Wu Qian, the spokesman of the Defense Ministry, said in an online statement released on Thursday.ASEAN defense meetings are being conducted at a time when the member states are considerably concerned about the upcoming change in American leadership as well as maritime tensions with China that are on the rise.Throughout his presidency, the administration of Joe Biden has fully endorsed the concept of a ‘free and open Indo-Pacific’. One could only hope for a clear stand from the new president about the flare up of the South China Sea issue with all its complications that will be faced by president Trump.
Xinhua news agency cites statements made by Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun who assured that it is always necessary to work towards resolving disputes in a calm fashion but also refraining from provocations and outside interference. It is also maintained by Beijing that the US backed the Philippines so much that the latter became more aggressive in dealing with China regarding the South China Sea.
The ASEAN meetings have drawn participation from several nations beyond Southeast Asia, including Japan, South Korea, India, Russia, Australia, and New Zealand. Discussions with ASEAN’s dialogue partners were anticipated to extend beyond regional maritime disputes, addressing broader geopolitical tensions such as those on the Korean Peninsula, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, and escalating hostilities in the Middle East.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin made a stop in Laos, before that he was in Australia where he engaged in strategic discussions with Australian leaders as well as Japan’s defence minister. Those discussions were trilateral in nature, reaffirming the commitment of their respective countries to ASEAN, as well as their serious concerns over activities which may cause destabilization in the East and South China Sea regions. This included dangerous activities by the People’s Republic of China towards the the Philippines and other maritime nations, hence the call for the protection of regional peace and order, especially in the maritime aspect.
