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China, US tension clouds ASEAN meetings
ASEAN called for ‘maximum restraint’ on Thursday after China angrily responded to United States House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s surprise visit to Taiwan.
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Smoke trails from projectiles launched by the Chinese military are seen in the sky as tourists look on from Pingtan Island, one of mainland China's closest points to Taiwan, in Fujian province on Aug. 4. (AFP/Hector Retamal)
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ension between Washington and Beijing continued to rise on Thursday ahead of the security-focused ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) meeting, prompting the 10-nation Southeast Asian bloc to issue a warning against further escalations that could disrupt the stability of the wider Indo-Pacific zone.
A surprise visit to Taiwan by a senior United States official earlier this week has enraged China and overshadowed regional meetings convened in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, where ASEAN is hopeful that the superpower rivalry will not add to the geopolitical turmoil created by the war in Ukraine.
Released on Thursday, the ASEAN foreign ministers’ statement on the cross-strait development noted that recent developments are taking place “in the area adjacent with the ASEAN region”, prompting the ministers to call for “maximum restraint” from the enactment of any “provocative actions”.
“ASEAN is concerned with the international and regional volatility [...] which could destabilize the region and eventually could lead to miscalculation, serious confrontation, open conflicts and unpredictable consequences among major powers,” the ministers said in a statement.
“[We call] for the upholding [of the] principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia [TAC]. We reiterate ASEAN member states’ support for their respective One China [policies]”.
The TAC is a 1976 guideline that promotes “peaceful coexistence and friendly cooperation among states in Southeast Asia”, which ASEAN partners are required to sign upon joining the regional network. Both the US and China signed the treaty in 2009 and 2003, respectively.
Read also: Blinken told Wang Yi of possible Pelosi Taiwan trip in July, official says
