ASEAN warns of the risk of ‘open conflicts’ in Taiwan strait

The unusually strident joint statement from the regional bloc, urging maximum restraint, was issued from Phnom Penh.

Foreign ministers from left: Philippines' Theresa Lazaro, Singapore's Vivian Balakrishnan, Thailand's Don Pramudwinai, Vietnam's Bui Thanh Son, Japan’s Yoshimasa Hayashi, South Korea’s Park Jin, Cambodia's Prak Sokhonn, China's Wang Yi and Indonesia's Retno Marsudi in Phnom Penh on Thursday. Picture: AFP

Southeast Asian nations have urged “maximum restraint” in the waters around Taiwan in a joint statement that warns the escalation of hostilities following US House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei could lead to “open conflicts”.

The rare statement was issued on Thursday from Phnom Penh where Association of Southeast Asian Nation foreign ministers are holding a series of meetings, among them East Asia Summit talks and the ASEAN Regional Forum involving foreign ministers from 27 nations including China, the US and Russia.

The chances of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Beijing’s Wang Yi meeting on the sidelines of the talks to try to defuse the situation are slim, however, with China’s foreign ministry all but ruling it out this week.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who arrived in the Cambodian capital on Thursday to attend the two days of meetings, repeated her call for all parties to “consider how they contribute to de-escalating current tensions”.

“One of the risks that I think the region is concerned about is the risk of miscalculation. Australia’s view is de-escalating in the interests of the region,” she said.

“Australia will continue to work with partners to promote peace and stability across the Straits and I again underline that Australia’s One China policy and support for the status quo remains unchanged.”

Beijing has accused the US of violating the status quo through Ms Pelosi’s trip — the most senior US official to visit Taiwan in 25 years — while Washington insists there has been no change to its One China position that recognises the government in Beijing while allowing for informal relations and defence ties with Taipei.

China does not recognise Taiwan as a separate country and has vowed to reunify the democratically governed island with the communist mainland, using force if necessary. Beijing responded to Ms Pelosi’s visit by launching live fire military drills in six areas around Taiwan’s main island on Thursday and shut down sea and airspace in what Taipei described as a blockade.

ASEAN foreign ministers did not specifically name Taiwan or China in the statement, which was released on Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Twitter feed hours before a more general joint communique that was still being debated. Instead, they warned volatility “in the area adjacent the ASEAN region could destabilise the region and lead to miscalculation, serious confrontation, open conflicts and unpredictable consequences among major powers”.

“ASEAN calls for maximum restraint, refrain from provocative action and for upholding the principles enshrined in the UN Charter and the treaty of Amity and Co-operation in Southeast Asia. We reiterate ASEAN member states’ support for their respective One-China Policy,” it said.

“The world is in dire need of wisdom and responsibility of all leaders to uphold multilateralism and partnership, co-operation, peaceful coexistence and healthy competition for our shared goals of peace, stability, security and inclusive and sustainable development. “We should ACT TOGETHER and ASEAN stands ready to play a constructive role in facilitating peaceful dialogue between all parties, including through utilising ASEAN-led mechanisms to deescalate tension, to safeguard peace, security and development in our region.”

The unusually strident joint statement was also noteworthy for the fact that Cambodia and Laos enjoy close ties with China and have in the past been accused of acting as Beijing proxies within the 10-member bloc.

As this year’s rotating ASEAN chair, Cambodia’s strong position on Taiwan has surprised some regional observers who remember its last chairmanship in 2012 in which it was accused of blocking formal criticism of Beijing’s actions in the South China Sea. It was the first time in 45 years that ASEAN foreign ministers failed to issue a joint communique.

In an ASEAN-China bilateral meeting on Thursday however Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi directly addressed current tensions in the Taiwan Strait, and urged China and ASEAN to “work harder in order to contribute to peace and stability in the Region”, according to a read-out.