China and US exchange warnings over South China Sea

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday exchanged warnings about the China Sea southern China, where Beijing is embroiled in a territorial dispute with the Philippines, an ally of Washington.

The US top diplomat met with his Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of a summit of foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Laos.

They both had a conversation “open and productive” said Matthew Miller, a spokesman for the US State Department.

The meeting came after Blinken criticized the actions “climbing” and “illegal” of Beijing in the disputed South China Seathrough which a key maritime route passes for the International Trade.

In recent months, there have been several clashes between Chinese and Philippine ships in the area, fuelling fears that escalating tensions could end up involving Washington, which has a defence pact with Manila.

Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea and rejects both the territorial claims of several Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, and an international ruling that found its claims have no legal basis.

“USA should not add fuel to the fire, provoke problems and undermine stability“maritime,” Wang said during a meeting with Blinken, according to a statement released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Blinken had expressed “worry” for several recent actions of Chinain particular a simulated blockade of Taiwan at the time of the inauguration of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, explained a spokesman for the State Department, Matthew Miller.

China considers Taiwan to be part of its territory and has in recent years stepped up its intimidation actions against the island, which has a democratic government.

“When Taiwan independence advocates launch a provocation, we will respond“Wang said, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

During the meeting, which lasted one hour and twenty minutes, Blinken raised the issue of human rights in Taiwan, Tibet and Hong Kong and expressed US concerns about China’s support for Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Finally, “He raised the issue of people unjustly imprisoned in China and the need to move forward on this point.“the official said.

China’s “decisive” role

After Laos, the Secretary of State will continue his six-country tour with a stop in Hanoi, Vietnam, as part of his goal of strengthening American influence in the China.

Blinken arrived in Laos two days after foreign ministers Sergey Lavrov of Russia and Wang Yi of China met on the sidelines of the ministerial meeting.

At the meeting, the Russian minister said that they discussed in “detail” issues of cooperation and the construction of “a new security architecture”.

China It is a strong ally for Russia and NATO members see Beijing as having a role to play.decisive” regarding Moscow since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

For its part, in a joint statement on Saturday, ASEAN expressed its “Deep concern about the escalation of conflicts” in Burma, a Member State, which suffered a military coup in 2021 and is ravaged by a wave of violence.

The junta’s military – banned from the ASEAN meeting and introduced by lower-ranking officials – is facing existing minority armed groups and a new insurgency called the People’s Defence Forces.

The regional bloc has so far failed in its attempts to resolve the crisis, with a five-point roadmap agreed with the military junta having largely been left on paper.