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China proposes foreign ministerial meeting with ASEAN in June
The Communist-led Chinese government has been cozying up to ASEAN nations as the United States has been trying to deepen its ties with other democratic countries such as Japan to counter Beijing's rising regional and global assertiveness.
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Regional partners: China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi (center on screen) addresses counterparts from ASEAN countries in a live video conference during the ASEAN-China Ministerial Meeting held online due to the COVID-19 on Sept. 9. ASEAN leaders will regroup for another summit this week. (AFP/Nhac Nguyen)
C
hina has proposed to hold a foreign ministerial meeting with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations in June in the country, while arranging working-level talks on the Myanmar crisis, government sources said Friday.
The Chinese government has been cozying up to ASEAN nations as the United States has been trying to deepen its ties with other democratic countries such as Japan to counter Beijing's rising regional and global assertiveness.
At a Group of Seven foreign ministerial gathering in London earlier this month, Brunei, this year's host of ASEAN meetings, was invited as a guest, underscoring how China and major democratic nations have been competing for clout in the Southeast Asian region.
The leadership of President Xi Jinping has been considering hosting its gathering with the ASEAN members in a city other than the capital Beijing, according to the sources.
As this year marks the 30th anniversary of the China-ASEAN dialogue relations, Beijing has been keen to bolster bilateral cooperation. It remains unknown whether Myanmar's military-appointed Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin will visit China.
In Myanmar, security forces continue their deadly crackdown on protestors against February's military coup.
If the foreign ministerial meeting is really held, a "five-point consensus" including sending a special envoy to Myanmar, reached at a special ASEAN summit in late April, may be discussed, foreign affairs experts said.
China has refrained from condemning Myanmar's military coup, unlike Japan, the United States and the European Union, as it has traditionally enhanced ties with the neighbor in the economic fields.
Beijing is also believed to be attempting to increase its economic and security influence in Myanmar, while its tensions with the United States and other democratic nations have been escalating in the Asia-Pacific region.
Myanmar is located right on the path of China's strategic plan to gain direct access to the Indian Ocean as part of its "Belt and Road" project for the development of infrastructure and trade across Asia, Europe and Africa.
China, meanwhile, has put emphasis on economic relations with Myanmar, having imported natural resources like gas and crude oil through pipes from the neighbor.
ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
China has been seeking to work in tandem to deal with the novel coronavirus pandemic and the Myanmar issue with the 10 ASEAN members, some of which have strengthened economic ties with Beijing but depend on Washington in security terms.
Beijing has apparently concentrated further on getting closer to Southeast Asia by providing China-developed coronavirus vaccines to ASEAN countries, as it promotes "vaccine diplomacy" across the globe.
