Rubio, Wang meet at Asean gathering amid South China Sea and Middle East tensions

MANILA: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday on the sidelines of an Asean-led regional meeting, as senior diplomats also focused on renewed tensions in the Middle East and disputes in the South China Sea.

The meeting between Rubio and Wang came as both sides were expected to discuss a possible summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping that Trump has indicated could take place at the end of September. Rubio had said on Sunday that such a meeting was still anticipated. The two officials did not speak to reporters as they entered the room.

The talks took place against the backdrop of a fragile easing in tensions between the world’s two largest economies, a situation that could be further complicated by Trump’s accusations that China interfered in US elections, an allegation Beijing has rejected.

Regional concerns at Asean forum

The broader gathering in Manila is taking place as the conflict involving the United States and Iran has flared up again, while friction also persists between China and the Philippines after an incident in the South China Sea that prompted both countries to summon each other’s ambassadors.

In a meeting with Asean foreign ministers, Rubio addressed concerns they had expressed over the Middle East war and placed responsibility on Iran.

“The problem we’re having right now is that they’re not serious about talks”, Rubio said.

“If they’re serious, we’re serious. If they’re not, then we will do what’s necessary to protect our interests, and also the interests of our allies”, he added.

He also said Iran must not be allowed to control the Strait of Hormuz, warning that such a development could create a dangerous precedent elsewhere, including in Southeast Asia.

South China Sea friction

Before the meetings in Manila, Rubio wrote in an opinion article carried by Philippine media that Asean states were facing what he described as growing coercive pressure in the South China Sea.

“If those waters fall under the control of a power willing to use commerce as a geopolitical weapon, both the United States and the Asean states would face dire new threats to their sovereignty, security, and economic futures”, Rubio wrote.

China claims sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea through a line on its maps that overlaps with the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. The waterway has long been the focus of disputes involving numerous islands and maritime features.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said an altercation on Monday between China’s coast guard and Philippine navy personnel had raised serious concern over what she described as risky and destabilising conduct.

“The countries of the region have a choice to make about how we all respond to that”, Wong told reporters on the sidelines of the meeting, while also warning that the Middle East conflict could worsen quickly.

China’s foreign ministry responded by saying Australia was not a party to the South China Sea dispute and had no right to interfere. Foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said “China urges relevant countries to stop stirring up tension and inciting confrontation”, during a regular briefing.

Wang’s outreach and Quad meeting

Disputes between Manila and Beijing have intensified in recent years as the Philippines has taken a more assertive approach in the South China Sea while deepening defence cooperation with the United States, Australia and Japan.

In talks with the Asean secretary-general on Tuesday, Wang said elements within the Philippines’ security establishment had engaged in deliberate provocations that served the interests of external forces, and said Beijing was prepared to work with Asean to remove such interfering factors.

Meeting Asean counterparts on Wednesday, Wang said trust, openness and inclusiveness were central to shared prosperity and to effective cooperation.

“Let us be the anchor for regional and global peace and development”, he said.

Rubio also met with the foreign ministers of India, Australia and Japan under the Quad framework, which China has criticised as reflecting a Cold War mindset and as an effort to contain its rise. In a joint statement, the four countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening a free and open Indo-Pacific and voiced unwavering support for Asean unity and centrality.

The Manila event is also being attended by representatives from Britain, Canada, the European Union, India, Japan, Russia and South Korea.