The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit gave rise to a new skirmish between the United States and its allies on one side, and Russia and China on the other. Another, Friday, on the last day of discussions marked by the war in Ukraine, and tensions in the South China Sea.
Vientiane, the capital of Laos renowned for its tranquility, saw the heavyweights of world diplomacy converge for three days of dialogue which also focused on the civil conflict in Myanmar.
But the number of differences on international issues, in particular the crisis in the Middle East, prevented agreement on a joint communiqué at the end of the summit, said an Asian diplomat.
The bloc of ten countries that constitutes ASEAN is accustomed to inviting its main partners, who want to keep a foothold in this populated region, with vigorous growth and strategic trade routes.
Alongside the Japanese, South Korean and Indian leaders, they notably brought together in the same room on Friday, American Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who have been trying to avoid each other since the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army.
“I listened to him. I can’t say if he listened to me, but I haven’t heard anything new,” the head of American diplomacy told journalists, who assured that he had not had direct contact with his counterpart.
President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris, Democratic candidate for the November presidential election, have promised to sustainably support Ukraine, and not to negotiate with Vladimir Putin behind kyiv’s back.
Chinese maneuvers “increasingly dangerous”
“I think that all the countries in this room, without speaking on their own behalf, have made it clear that this aggression must stop,” assured Mr. Blinken.
Mr. Lavrov, for his part, affirmed that American action in Southeast Asia was “destructive”, accusing Washington in particular of pushing Japan into “militarization”.
The diplomat referred to the idea of creating a regional military alliance modeled on NATO, supported by the new Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
On the issue of China, Antony Blinken supported ASEAN by denouncing Beijing’s “increasingly dangerous” maritime maneuvers in the East and South China Seas.
Several recent episodes of clashes involving Chinese ships, on one side, and Philippine and Vietnamese boats on the other, have raised fears of an escalation of tensions among Southeast Asian leaders, who have called for restraint and respect for international law.
Beijing claims, for historical reasons, its sovereignty over almost all uninhabited reefs and islets, ignoring an international court ruling according to which its claims have no legal basis.
The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia, all members of ASEAN, have rival claims in this maritime zone with high commercial and strategic stakes.
Seeking a peace process in Myanmar
The American Secretary of State also warned Beijing against any “provocation” towards Taiwan, the day after a speech by Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te calling for “resist against the annexation of the island” which irritated China.
“China should under no circumstances use this as a pretext for provocative actions,” Blinken said.
Relations between China and the United States have, however, calmed in recent months, with Antony Blinken and President Joe Biden favoring dialogue to avoid all-out confrontation.
The ASEAN summit also attempted to revive the peace process in Myanmar, which has been in chaos since the coup d’état of 1er February 2021 against elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
For the first time, the junta agreed to send a “non-political representative” to the summit, in this case an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the only presence authorized by ASEAN which banned the generals from its high-level meetings. level.
ASEAN said it was attached to its “five-point” road map, which sets out the conditions for a return to peace, although progress remains “largely insufficient” after three years.
“We believe that Myanmar should be engaged rather than isolated in this process,” declared Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a country bordering Myanmar, who has engaged in dialogue with the junta.