US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to arrive in Jakarta on Thursday for the Asean foreign ministers’ meetings taking place against the backdrop of US-China tensions over Taiwan, territorial disputes, and the conflict in Myanmar.
Blinken is scheduled to meet with China’s diplomat Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations forum, extending a string of high-profile meetings intended to dial down differences between the two countries. Asian leaders have expressed concerns over the prospect of an accident in the Taiwan Strait spiraling into a military conflict.
The Asean forum follows diplomatic breakthroughs at this week’s NATO summit in Lithuania, an effort seen as a direct affront to Moscow while its biggest backer, Beijing, has been critical of the US-led alliance for attempting to stoke bloc confrontation in Asia.
Asean has deepened ties with South Korea and Japan, both of which are likely to raise concerns over China when they meet with Southeast Asian leaders on Thursday.
(All times local)
Blinken-Wang Yi Meeting (8:34 a.m.)
The two diplomats are scheduled to meet at 5:15 p.m. local time. China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang will skip the gathering due to his “physical condition,” according to the foreign ministry spokesman on July 11.
China, Russia, Indonesia Diplomats Meet (10:49 p.m.)
Wang, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi exchanged views on international and regional issues on Wednesday, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing. The three also discussed food and energy security and called for ensuring smooth supply chains for developing countries.
Indonesia Stresses Dialogue (5:15 p.m.)
Marsudi stressed the need to ramp up dialogue amid growing regional tensions during a trilateral meeting with Wang and Lavrov. Indonesia has sought to play a mediator role in the ongoing war in Ukraine with President Joko Widodo making visits to both Kyiv and Moscow last year.
“In today’s world full of challenges, we really need to have more dialogue and more collaboration,” she said.
--With assistance from Chandra Asmara.
Author: Philip J. Heijmans and Faris Mokhtar