Blinken chides Beijing’s ‘escalating actions’ at sea, concerned over Taiwan

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticised China’s “escalating illegal actions” in the South China Sea at the summit on Saturday, while his Russian counterpart Dmitry Peskov said US plans with ally South Korea to build a nuclear deterrent on the Korean peninsula were stoking fears.

Blinken specifically condemned China’s coast guard’s hostile actions against the Philippines, a U.S. defense treaty ally, in the South China Sea.

But he also noted that Manila Resupply Mission He accompanied the troops to the disputed shallow waters early Saturday morning, unhindered by China.

Blinken was attending the security-focused ASEAN Regional Forum alongside diplomats from major powers including Russia, India, China, Australia, Japan and the EU, which also saw discussions on ASEAN’s disputes. Gaza and UkraineNorth Korea’s nuclear ambitions and tensions in the South China Sea.

The Philippines’ small military presence on a former U.S. Navy ship stranded at Second Thomas Shoal has long angered China. Repeated argumentsThis has raised regional concerns about an escalation that could lead to U.S. intervention.

This week both Arrangements How to accomplish those tasks.

“We are pleased to see the successful resupply of Second Thomas Shoal today,” Blinken told foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which is hosting the meeting in Laos.

“We applaud that and hope and expect that to continue in the future.”

On the sidelines of the meeting, Blinken spoke with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, their sixth meeting since June 2023. Blinken’s visit to Beijing marked an easing of tensions between the world’s two largest economies.

According to a senior State Department official, Secretary Blinken discussed the Taiwan issue with Wang and expressed concern about Beijing’s recent “provocative actions,” including a mock blockade at the inauguration ceremony of Taiwan President Lai Ching-te.

The official said the two agreed to continue developing military ties, adding that Blinken also discussed China’s support for Russia’s defense industrial base and warned of further U.S. action against Chinese companies, but did not receive any commitments from Wang.

Wang told Blinken that while communication remains open between China and the United States, the United States has not let up, but rather intensified, its containment and repression of Beijing.

“Risks facing U.S.-China relations are still accumulating, challenges are growing, and the relationship is at a critical crossroads to halt the decline and achieve stability,” he said, according to a foreign ministry statement.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on the sidelines of the forum: Guidelines The statement on the operation of US nuclear assets on the Korean peninsula, officially aimed at establishing a comprehensive deterrent against the North Korean threat, has raised security concerns in the region.

“So far we have not even been given an explanation of what this means, but it certainly creates further anxiety,” Russian state news agency RIA quoted Lavrov as saying.

“They are actively stirring up the atmosphere around the Korean peninsula, militarizing their presence in the region and, frankly, conducting exercises aimed at preparing for military action,” he said, according to the Interfax news agency.

Blinken had earlier said the US was “working hard every day” to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and find a path to more lasting peace and security.

His comments followed comments by Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, who said sustainable peace was urgently needed.

Retno also said international law should apply to everyone, alluding to recent rulings by two international courts over Israel’s attacks on Gaza.

“We cannot continue to turn a blind eye to the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza,” Retno said.

Palestinian health officials say fighting has killed more than 39,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since the start of the Israeli invasion, including combatants and non-combatants.

Israeli officials estimate that 14,000 fighters from extremist groups, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, have been killed or captured, out of an estimated strength of more than 25,000 at the start of the war, which began when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping 250.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong urged Myanmar’s military junta to choose a different path and end the escalating civil war, and pressed the generals to honour their commitment to toe the ASEAN line. Peace plan.

The conflict is between Myanmar’s well-equipped military and Loose Alliance Ethnic rebel groups and armed resistance movements are growing in power, testing the generals’ ability to govern.

The military junta has largely ignored peace efforts and ASEAN is at an impasse as all parties refuse to engage in dialogue.

“We see the instability, insecurity, death and suffering caused by the conflict,” Wong told reporters.

“My message from Australia to the administration is this is not sustainable for you or for your people.”

The fighting has forced an estimated 2.6 million people to flee, and the junta has been accused of airstrikes on civilian areas and faced allegations of atrocities which it has dismissed as Western disinformation.

ASEAN issued a statement on Saturday stressing its unity in realizing the peace plan, condemning violence against civilians and calling on all parties in Myanmar to end hostilities and begin dialogue.

ASEAN also welcomed non-specific practical steps to reduce tensions and prevent accidents and miscalculations in the South China Sea, and called on all parties to refrain from actions that could complicate or escalate disputes.