ASEAN top diplomats discuss South China Sea disputes, Myanmar fighting

The top diplomats from Southeast Asia are grappling with tensions over the South China Sea, the escalating fighting in Myanmar, and regional rivalries as they meet in Laos.

The meetings on Saturday bring together allies of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – including the United States, China, Russia, Japan, India and Australia – to bolster their relationships and discuss critical security issues.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in the capital, Vientiane, on Saturday and is expected to meet his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, as both countries look to expand their influence in the region.

Hours before those talks, Blinken hit out at China’s “escalatory and unlawful actions taken against the Philippines” in the South China Sea as he addressed the foreign ministers of the 10-member bloc.

The Philippines has been locked in a longstanding territorial dispute with China over parts of the crucial waterway through which trillions of dollars worth of trade passes annually.

ASEAN members Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei also have conflicts with China over its claim of sovereignty over virtually all of the South China Sea.

Among other issues, Blinken will also discuss economic cooperation and the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar, according to a statement from the US Department of State.

No major announcements are expected as ASEAN members hold divergent views on several issues. There are divisions within the grouping on how to deal with China’s maritime claims.

The Philippine government has been critical over a perceived lack of support from ASEAN, but in a rare deal, China and the Philippines said they had reached an agreement that they hope will de-escalate the situation without conceding each other’s territorial claims.

Philippines Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo said on Friday after a meeting with China’s Wang that they agreed to “honour the provisional agreement in a clear and sincere effort”.

On Saturday, the Philippines said it was able to make a resupply mission to its troops at a disputed shoal in the South China Sea without having to confront China’s forces, drawing praise from Blinken.

Meanwhile, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong urged Myanmar’s military rulers to end an intensifying civil war and abide by their commitment to follow ASEAN’s consensus peace plan.