JAKARTA: Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang on Wednesday emphasized the importance of avoiding a “new Cold War” and appropriately handling differences and disputes”. He warned against “taking sides, bloc confrontation, and a new Cold War”.
Li Qiang delivered a keynote address at an annual summit involving members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), China, Japan, and South Korea. The summit took place amidst escalating geopolitical rivalries in the region.
During his speech, Li stressed the necessity of “appropriately handling differences and disputes” and cautioned against “taking sides, bloc confrontation, and a new Cold War”.
ASEAN, which has repeatedly warned against being drawn into disputes among major powers, conducted broader discussions with key figures including US Vice President Kamala Harris, leaders from Japan, South Korea, Australia, and India. Notably, neither US President Joe Biden nor his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, attended the summit.
Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi of the ASEAN chair, Indonesia, revealed that discussions took place regarding the negotiations on a long-debated code of conduct for the South China Sea.
ASEAS Nations’ Ties with China
ASEAN nations have varying degrees of diplomatic, business, and military ties with China, with some being more cautious than others. The United States has also sought closer relationships with ASEAN countries, with mixed results.
As the summit concluded, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged to collaborate with Japan and China to facilitate the early resumption of three-way talks aimed at improving their relations. Yoon also called for an immediate halt to any military cooperation with North Korea in response to reports of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss supplying weapons for the conflict in Ukraine.
Prior to the broader summit, the 10 members of ASEAN held their own meeting, where leaders aimed to assert the bloc’s relevance amid criticism that it has not effectively pressured Myanmar’s military leaders to cooperate on a peace plan for the strife-torn country. Myanmar has been plagued by violence since the military ousted the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi in early 2021.
