Asean warns of open conflict; diplomatic discord at meet

PHNOM PENH: Southeast Asian countries warned on Thursday of miscalculations in the Taiwan Strait and “serious confrontation” among major powers, while China’s foreign minister walked out before a gala dinner at a high-level meeting in Cambodia. The Asean is hosting a meeting of 27 countries, including the US. It warned the tensions could lead to “open conflicts and unpredictable consequences”, and called for maximum restraint. “Asean stands ready to play a constructive role in facilitating peaceful dialogue between all parties,” the bloc said in a statement.

There was diplomatic discord also in Phnom Penh, where foreign ministers of China, the US and Japan were all present in the same venue for bilateral meetings with the Asean grouping. Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and US secretary of state Antony Blinken have refused to meet each other, while planned talks between Wang and Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi were cancelled, with Beijing citing displeasure over a G7 statement urging it to resolve tension over Taiwan peacefully.

Wang on Thursday called Pelosi’s visit “manic, irresponsible and highly irrational”, state-run CCTV reported. Underlining the tension, Wang arrived for Asean’s gala dinner late in the evening then walked out of the venue just moments after.

In opening remarks to Asean counterparts, Blinken stressed US policy on Taiwan hadn’t changed. “We oppose any unilateral efforts to change the status quo, especially by force. ”