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☆ Biden to host Japan, South Korea leaders for Aug. 18 summit -White House
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, July 28 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will host Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for a trilateral summit at Camp David in Maryland on Aug. 18, the White House said on Friday. "The three leaders will discuss expanding trilateral cooperation across the Indo-Pacific and beyond – including to address the continued threat posed by (North Korea) and to strengthen ties with ASEAN and the Pacific Islands," White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. Washington is keen to encourage closer cooperation with its two main allies in Asia amid shared concerns about China's growing might and North Korea's nuclear and missile programs. Japan and South Korea have been moving to mend strained bilateral ties following years of feuds over historical issues which undercut cooperation. Reporting by Rami Ayyub; Editing by Eric BeechOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden, Fumio Kishida, Yoon Suk, Karine Jean, Pierre, Washington, Jean, Rami Ayyub, Eric Beech Organizations: South, Camp David, ASEAN, Thomson Locations: Camp, Maryland, North Korea, Asia, Japan, South Korea

☆ Japan says it hopes to communicate closely with China including with Wang Yi
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, July 26 (Reuters) - Japan hopes to communicate closely with China, including with its newly named foreign minister and veteran diplomat Wang Yi, the top government spokesperson said on Wednesday. "It is important to build a constructive and stable relationship with China through mutual efforts," Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters. China on Tuesday named Wang to replace Qin Gang, who had not been seen in public since June 25. Wang, who was Qin's predecessor, and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi agreed to resume high-level trilateral talks with South Korea on the sidelines of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Indonesia earlier this month. Reporting by Satoshi Sugiyama Editing by Chang-Ran KimOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Wang Yi, Hirokazu Matsuno, Wang, Gang, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Satoshi Sugiyama, Chang, Ran Kim Organizations: China, South, Association of South East Asian Nations, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, China, South Korea, Indonesia

☆ Myanmar military may move Suu Kyi to house arrest - media
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A demonstrator holds up a placard outside the Central Bank of Myanmar to protest against the military coup and to demand the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, in Yangon, Myanmar, February 11, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer/File PhotoJuly 26 (Reuters) - Myanmar's military government may move ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi from prison to house arrest in the capital, Naypyitaw, two media outlets reported on Wednesday. Many Western governments have condemned the junta's treatment of Suu Kyi and others, calling for their release. The daughter of Myanmar's independence hero was first put under house arrest in 1989 after huge protests against decades of military rule. In 1991, she won the Nobel Peace Prize for campaigning for democracy but was only fully released from house arrest in 2010.

Persons: Aung San, Aung San Suu Kyi, Stringer, Suu, Kyaw Zaw, Suu Kyi, Don Pramudwinai, Kanupriya Kapoor, Robert Birsel Organizations: Central Bank of, REUTERS, Associated Press, BBC, Reuters, National Unity Government, Thai Foreign, ASEAN, Myanmar, Thomson Locations: Central Bank of Myanmar, Aung San Suu, Yangon, Myanmar, Naypyitaw, Suu

☆ Xi Jinping’s foreign minister ousted after month-long unexplained absence from public view
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s foreign minister Qin Gang was dramatically ousted on Tuesday after a prolonged absence from public view and replaced by his predecessor in a surprising and highly unusual shake-up of the country’s foreign policy leadership. Qin, 57, a career diplomat and trusted aide of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, had only been appointed foreign minister in December after serving as China’s ambassador to Washington. Wang, who was foreign minister from 2013 to 2022, now serves as director of the foreign affairs arm of the ruling Communist Party, a position which makes him China’s top diplomat. The appointment of a foreign minister through a vote during a China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee meeting is a deviation from past precedents. Qin’s disappearance from China’s foreign affairs schedule has not been fully explained by the ministry, which briefly cited “health reasons” when he missed a diplomatic gathering earlier this month.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Qin Gang, Qin, Xi Jinping, Wang Yi, Wang, Andrey Rudenko, Wagner, Xi, ”, Deng Yuwen, Deng, they’ve Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Communist Party, Russian, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Xi, CNN, Senior Locations: Hong Kong, Washington, China, Beijing, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Russia, Indonesia, South Africa, Johannesburg

☆ Cambodia's ruling party says it won a landslide victory in elections
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"We didn't just win the election but we won it in a landslide," said CPP spokesperson Sok Eysan. Hun Sen, 70, has ruled Cambodia for nearly four decades, with an increasingly heavy hand in recent years that has all but wiped out the opposition. Last week, Hun Sen signalled that Western-educated military general Hun Manet "could be" prime minister by next month. A group of parliamentarians from across Southeast Asia said the election was a "coronation for Hun Sen and his cronies". PM Hun Sen called on them to "confess" or face legal consequences.

Persons: Hun, Hun Manet, Sok Eysan, Hun Sen, Matthew Miller, Washington, Hun Sen's, Miller, Eva Kusuma Sundari, Prak Chan Tul, Chanta Lach, Simon Lewis, Kanupriya Kapoor, Michael Perry Organizations: Cambodian People's Party, Candlelight Party, Pro, State Department, ASEAN Parliamentarians, Human Rights, Thomson Locations: PHNOM PENH, United States, Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Southeast Asia, Washington

☆ Top Chinese diplomat proposes talks with Japan, South Korea, Kyodo reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, July 23 (Reuters) - Top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi proposed high-level talks between China, Japan and South Korea in a meeting with the Japanese foreign minister in Indonesia this month, Kyodo news agency reported on Sunday. U.S. allies Japan and South Korea are wary of China's increasing military assertiveness and of growing tensions between China and the U.S. over a range of issues including trade and self-ruled Taiwan. Wang and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi met on the sidelines of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Indonesia on July 14. The issue of the water could be a sticking point preventing an early meeting of leaders of the three countries, Kyodo said. Japan conveyed Wang's proposal for the talks to South Korea, Kyodo said.

Persons: Wang Yi, Wang, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Kyodo, Satoshi Sugiyama, Ryan Woo, Jacqueline Wong, Robert Birsel Organizations: Kyodo, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, U.S, Taiwan, Tokyo, Japanese

☆ US Treasury's Yellen sees Vietnam as key partner in 'friendshoring' supply chains
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

July 21 (Reuters) - The United States sees Vietnam as a key partner in expanding green energy sources and building more resilient supply chains, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a speech to be delivered in the country's capital of Hanoi on Friday. Yellen's visit is part of a push by the United States to upgrade its formal ties with Vietnam as it works to reduce dependence on Chinese supply chains by expanding manufacturing at home and boosting trade with trusted partners. But its efforts have met some resistance in Hanoi, over what experts see as concerns that China could view the move as hostile. The United States and Vietnam normalized relations in 1995, two decades after the end of the Vietnam War, and signed a bilateral trade agreement five years later. She underscored that Washington's "friendshoring" drive was not meant for "an exclusive club of countries.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Yellen, Washington, Andrea Shalal, Jamie Freed Organizations: Treasury, U.S ., ASEAN Business Council, Intel, Initiative, The, Vietnam's, Thomson Locations: United States, Vietnam, U.S, Hanoi, Asia, Washington, China, Arizona, Saigon, The United States

☆ India's rice export ban could send decade-high prices spiking even further
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

India banned the exports of non-basmati white rice with immediate effect late Thursday, the latest in the government's effort to rein in high food prices. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs said the ban would help ensure "adequate availability" of non-basmati white rice in India, as well as "allay the rise in prices in the domestic market." India is the world's leading rice exporter, accounting for more than 40% of the global rice trade, as well as the second-largest producer after China. Analysts told CNBC this week's ban could send already elevated prices shooting even higher, compounding effects from the country's September ban on shipments of broken rice. Barre said Bangladesh and Nepal would be hardest hit by the ban, as both countries are top export destinations.

Persons: Eve Barre Organizations: Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Analysts, CNBC, Coface Locations: India, China, ASEAN, Barre, Bangladesh, Nepal

☆ Like strongman, like son? Cambodia's Hun Manet makes political debut
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Clare Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] General Hun Manet, son of Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen holds a party flag as he attends a kickoff of an election campaign rally for the upcoming national election in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, July 1, 2023. The political debut of Hun Manet, 45, marks one of the final steps in a decades-long grooming process that is expected to end with him succeeding his father as prime minister. For some, Hun Manet represents a young, fresh face who will further develop Cambodia. He recently hosted Hun Manet as an AmCham guest of honour. In 2019 and 2020, Hun Manet met three foreign leaders, the Lowy Institute think tank said.

Persons: Hun Manet, Cambodia's, Hun Sen, Cindy Liu, Hun, Anthony Galliano, Hun Manet's, liberalize, spokespeople, Hun Sen's, Sam Rainsy, feudalistic, Manet, Lee Morgenbesser, he's, Morgenbesser, I've, –, Clare Baldwin, Kay Johnson, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Cambodian, Cambodia People's Party, National Assembly, Cambodia, ASEAN Parliamentarians, Human Rights, Reuters, U.S, New York University, University of Bristol, ABC, Griffith University, Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, Lowy Institute, Thomson Locations: Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Thai, West, Southeast Asia, Western

☆ Xi Jinping's foreign minister vanished from public view. His prolonged absence is driving intense speculation
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang has not been seen in public for three weeks, an unusually long absence during a busy period of diplomatic activity in Beijing, sparking intense speculation in a country known for its political opaqueness. Qin, 57, a career diplomat and trusted aide of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, was promoted to foreign minister in December, after a brief stint as ambassador to the United States. As foreign minister, Qin has delivered searing rebukes of Washington after relations plunged to a new low in the aftermath of a suspected Chinese spy balloon that was shot down over the US. The Chinese Foreign Ministry often leaves out content it deems sensitive from the transcripts of its regular briefings. Senior Chinese officials have disappeared from public view in the past, only to be revealed months later by the ruling Communist Party’s disciplinary watchdog that they’ve been detained for investigations.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Qin Gang, Qin, Xi Jinping, Antony Blinken, Andrey Rudenko, Wagner, “, ”, Deng Yuwen, Janet Yellen, John Kerry . Qin, Josep Borrell, Wang Yi, Deng, they’ve, Xi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Hong Kong CNN — China’s, Russian, Communist Party, Foreign Ministry, European Union, EU, ” Reuters, Reuters, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Senior, Xi Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, United States, Washington, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Russia, China, Indonesia

☆ China's top diplomat urges stable ties with India as military tensions simmer
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, July 15 (Reuters) - China's top diplomat Wang Yi told the Indian foreign minister that bilateral ties need to be stabilised, as the two Asian neighbours searched for ways to ease simmering military tensions along their vast border. Since the 1990s, ties have improved after a series of border agreements, and China is now India's second-largest trading partner. China and India need to work in the same direction to find a solution to border issues acceptable to both sides, Wang told Jaishankar during their meeting on Friday. The two sides agreed to hold the next round of military commander-level talks on border issues at an early date, the Chinese foreign ministry said. On India's recent restrictions against Chinese companies, Wang urged a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies.

Persons: Wang Yi, Wang, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Jaishankar, Ryan Woo, Edmund Klamann Organizations: ASEAN, Affairs, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Indonesian, Jakarta, India, China, New Delhi

☆ Japan calls on China to approach Fukushima water release in 'scientific manner'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, July 14 (Reuters) - Japan called on China to approach the release of radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in a scientific manner at a meeting held between Japan Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Chinese top diplomat Wang Yi on Friday. China has criticised Japan's plan to release over one million tonnes of water from the wrecked Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant starting this summer. Hayashi said that Japan was ready to communicate with China about the water discharge from a scientific perspective, according to the statement. The treated water will be diluted to well below internationally approved levels of tritium before being released into the Pacific. Hayashi also defended the plan at an ASEAN meeting on Thursday and claimed China was making "claims not rooted in scientific evidence", according to Japan's foreign ministry.

Persons: Yoshimasa Hayashi, Wang Yi, Hayashi, Wang, Sakura Murakami, Himani Sarkar, Michael Perry Organizations: Japan Foreign, ichi, Plant, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, China, Indonesia, Russia

☆ U.S.-ASEAN Business Council on U.S. investment in Southeast Asia
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailASEAN is the 'single largest' destination for U.S. investment in Asia: U.S.-ASEAN Business CouncilTed Osius, president and CEO of the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council, discusses the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and says the U.S. private sector is "investing more in Southeast Asia than in China, Japan, India and Korea combined."

Persons: ASEAN Business Council Ted Osius Organizations: ASEAN, ASEAN Business Council, U.S ., U.S Locations: Asia, U.S, Southeast Asia, China, Japan, India, Korea

☆ South Korea asks China to play 'constructive role' against North's threats
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It is a common interest of Seoul and Beijing for North Korea to stop provocations and return to dialogue, his office said. Relations between South Korea and China have also worsened since China's ambassador last month warned South Korea against making a wrong bet when it comes to Sino-U.S. rivalry. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol had already angered China in April by saying the Taiwan issue was not merely an issue between China and democratically governed Taiwan, but a "global" issue similar to North Korea. "It is hoped that the South Korean side will abide by the one-China principle and handle it prudently and properly." China is willing to work with South Korea on rebuilding mutual trust and pushing their strategic partnership back to a healthy track, Wang said.

Persons: Jin, Wang Yi, Yoon Suk Yeol, Wang, Soo, hyang Choi, Ryan Woo, Christina Fincher, Devika Syamnath, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Korea's Foreign, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, United Nations Security Council, South, ASEAN, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, China, Pyongyang, Jakarta, Seoul, Beijing, North Korea, Russia, Washington, Moscow, emboldening North Korea, South Korea, U.S, Taiwan

[1/7] Indonesian President Joko Widodo greets Cambodia's Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn during the Courtesy Call at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, July 14, 2023. REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana/PoolJAKARTA, July 14 (Reuters) - Foreign ministers of two dozen countries meet in Indonesia on Friday with U.S.-China rivalry, the war in Ukraine and North Korean missiles set to dominate roundtable talks in Southeast Asia's annual security gathering. In opening remarks to foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), chairman Indonesian President Joko Widodo said the gathering aimed to seek solutions rather than exacerbate regional and global problems. LAVROV: WESTERN 'DOMINATION'The 10-member ASEAN hosts an East Asia Summit on Friday morning before holding a separate meeting with Blinken. China's Wang also met with Lavrov, and said the two sides would "strengthen strategic communication and coordination".

Persons: Joko Widodo, Prak Sokhonn, Antony Blinken, Wang Yi, Nancy Pelosi, Matthew Miller, Wang, Blinken, Sergei Lavrov, China's Wang, Lavrov, Myanmar's, Martin Petty, Michael Perry Organizations: Cambodia's, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, REUTERS, U.S, North Korean, Friday's ASEAN Regional Forum, ASEAN, State Department, ARF, enraging, Washington, Department, U.S . Navy, East Asia Summit, United Nations Security Council, Russian, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, JAKARTA, China, Ukraine, North, United States, Russia, Taiwan, enraging Beijing, LAVROV, Australia, Japan, Britain, South Korea, Myanmar

☆ US, Japan, South Korea, condemn North Korean missile launch in joint statement
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 14 (Reuters) - North Korea's firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) this week violates multiple U.N. resolutions and threatens peace and stability in the region, the United States, South Korea, and Japan said on Friday in a joint statement condemning the launch. The missile, fired off North Korea's east coast on Wednesday, flew for 74 minutes to an altitude of 6,000 km (3,728 miles) and a range of 1,000 km, according to Japan, in what would be the longest-ever flight time for a North Korean missile. The countries urged North Korea "to cease its unlawful and escalatory actions and promptly return to dialogue," the statement added. Blinken reaffirmed the United States' "ironclad commitments" to the defense of Japan and South Korea in that meeting, according to a separate statement from the U.S. State Department. The launch came after heated complaints from North Korea in recent days, accusing American spy planes of flying over its exclusive economic zone waters, condemning a recent visit to South Korea by an American nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine, and vowing to take steps in reaction.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Park Jin, Blinken, Ismail Shakil, Caitlin Webber, Sandra Maler Organizations: UN, U.S, Foreign, ASEAN Regional Forum, U.S . State Department, Thomson Locations: United States, South Korea, Japan, Korean, North Korea, Jakarta, Indonesia, American, Ottawa

CNN —US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due to meet with top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi on Thursday – the latest in a series of increased high-level interactions between Washington and Beijing. Their meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Jakarta comes less than a month after the two met in Beijing, holding what the top US diplomat called a “candid and constructive” conversation. The Biden administration feels that the US and China are “getting back to normal in the sense of pace of diplomacy,” a senior administration official told CNN this week. Both Blinken and Yellen claimed they had made some progress in efforts to re-establish bilateral communications aimed at responsibly managing the relationship. But right now that is “not being actively considered,” the senior administration official said.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Wang Yi, Qin Gang, Biden, ”, Janet Yellen, John Kerry, Yellen, ” Blinken, “ We’re, –, ” Yellen, they’ve, Blinken’s, Matthew Miller, Miller Organizations: CNN, Chinese Communist Party, China’s, Qin, Reuters, ASEAN, Microsoft, State Department Locations: Washington, Beijing, Jakarta, United States, China, Fiji, Mexico

☆ Top diplomat says China, ASEAN pushing ahead with free trade area talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] China's Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attend a meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar UlfianaBEIJING, July 13 (Reuters) - China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are pushing ahead with talks on a third version of a free trade agreement at an ASEAN summit in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, China's top diplomat Wang Yi said on Thursday. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is the world's largest trade bloc backed by China. "We will continue to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership with ASEAN," Wang said. According to customs data on Thursday, the value of China-ASEAN two-way trade hit $447.3 billion in January-June, down 1.5% year-on-year.

Persons: Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi, Retno Marsudi, Sergei Lavrov, Wang Yi, Wang, Lv Daliang, Liz Lee, Ellen Zhang, Bernard Orr, Clarence Fernandez, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Central Foreign Affairs Commission, Russia's, REUTERS, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Economic, Trans, Pacific, Thomson Locations: Indonesian, Jakarta, Indonesia, BEIJING, China, China's, Asia, Pacific, Australia, Japan, U.S, ASEAN

☆ Blinken to meet China's Wang Yi in Jakarta -State Department
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] China's Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi attends during a trilateral meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Jakarta, Indonesia, July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar UlfianaJuly 12 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi on Thursday as officials gather in Indonesia for ASEAN meetings, the State Department said in announcing the latest in series of interactions between the rival superpowers. Wang is representing China at the Jakarta meetings involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and partner countries after Beijing said Foreign Minister Qin Gang would not attend due to health reasons. Blinken met Qin and Wang in Beijing last month, marking the first visit to China by a U.S. secretary of state in five years. Wang, who is the foreign policy chief for the Chinese Communist Party, ranks above Qin, who as the foreign minister is the government's foreign policy chief.

Persons: Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi, Retno Marsudi, Sergei Lavrov, Antony Blinken, Wang Yi, Wang, Qin Gang, Blinken, Qin, Janet Yellen, John Kerry, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Daniel Kritenbrink, David Brunnstrom, Simon Lewis, Dan Whitcomb, Michael Perry Organizations: Central Foreign Affairs Commission, Indonesian Foreign, Russia's, REUTERS, ASEAN, State Department, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Foreign, U.S, Treasury, Chinese Communist Party, Pentagon, NATO, senior State Department, East, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, China, Beijing, United States, Asia, U.S, Lithuanian, Vilnius, Pacific, East Asia

☆ Blinken to meet China's Wang Yi in Jakarta - State Department
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

☆ ASEAN struggles for unity on Myanmar conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The cause of the delay was unclear but an ASEAN official said a communique was being finalised and would be released soon. ASEAN chair Indonesia on Wednesday urged the group's foreign ministers to remain united in tackling the escalating violence in Myanmar. Malaysia, a vocal critic of the junta, urged ASEAN to strongly condemn the junta's actions, including violence. RIFTS APPARENTRifts within ASEAN over Myanmar were highlighted when Thailand invited Myanmar military officials to a meeting last month aimed at "re-engaging" with the junta. Indonesia, as ASEAN chair this year, is working behind the scenes to bring all stakeholders in the Myanmar conflict together for informal talks, but diplomats say it is struggling to make headway.

Persons: Zambry Abdul Kadir, Antony Blinken, Wang Yi, Don Pramudwinai, Don, Myanmar's, Aung San, Aung San Suu Kyi, Malaysia's Zambry, Suu Kyi's, Kate Lamb, Stanley Widianto, Kanupriya Kapoor, Rob Birsel, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Myanmar's, Association for Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Junta, Indonesia, Wednesday, Myanmar, Thai Foreign, National Unity Government, Thomson Locations: JAKARTA, Jakarta, Myanmar, Malaysia, United States, China, Russia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Aung San Suu, Naypyitaw

☆ ASEAN chair Indonesia has little to show for Myanmar peace drive, diplomats say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Kate Lamb | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

JAKARTA, July 12 (Reuters) - Indonesia, working on behalf of southeast Asian nations, has little to show so far for its intense behind-the-scenes efforts to bridge gaps between factions in Myanmar's conflict, diplomatic sources say. Myanmar has been racked by violence since 2021, when the military seized power from a largely elected government and unleashed a deadly crackdown on opponents. But the junta, an opposition "shadow government" and rebel militias all refuse to compromise on their respective conditions to start even informal talks, said three sources, including two diplomats, familiar with the matter. Sasa said he could not confirm if the Bali meetings had taken place, but called for even deeper engagement with ASEAN. The sources said Indonesia had drawn inspiration from its "cocktail diplomacy" of the late 1980s, when it convinced Cambodia's four opposing factions to meet for informal talks near Jakarta.

Persons: Sasa, Bali, Cambodia's, Lina Alexandra, Retno Marsudi, Kanupriya Kapoor, Kevin Liffey Organizations: Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, National Unity Government, Centre, Strategic, International Studies, Indonesian, Thomson Locations: JAKARTA, Indonesia, Myanmar, Indonesia's, Bali, Jakarta

[1/5] Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi delivers her opening remarks during a retreat session of the 56th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Minister's Meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana/PoolJAKARTA, July 12 (Reuters) - ASEAN foreign ministers on Wednesday called for regional unity in addressing an intensifying conflict in Myanmar, amid doubts over the bloc's capability to implement a two-year-old peace process that has yet to get off the ground. Retno's remarks come after a Thai-led meeting last month attended by Myanmar's military leaders who have been barred from high-level ASEAN meetings. Most ASEAN members shunned that meeting, which Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai defended, saying Thailand was suffering in terms of its border, trade and refugee problems. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on Wednesday said the agreed peace plan should remain ASEAN's focus.

Persons: Retno Marsudi, Don Pramudwinai, Don, Aung San, Aung San Suu Kyi, Suu Kyi, Rizal Sukma, Sukma, Kanupriya Kapoor, Martin Petty, Michael Perry Organizations: Indonesian, 56th Association of Southeast Asian Nations, REUTERS, ASEAN, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Indonesia's, United Nations, Thai Foreign, Centre, Strategic, International Studies, Friday's East Asia Summit, ASEAN Regional, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, JAKARTA, Myanmar, ASEAN, Thai, Thailand, Aung San Suu, China, Philippines, Vietnam, South China, Friday's, United States, Russia

July 11 (Reuters) - China's foreign minister Qin Gang will not attend a diplomatic gathering in Indonesia this week for health reasons, a spokesman for his ministry said on Tuesday. Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China are scheduled to meet on Thursday, before Friday's East Asia Summit and ASEAN Regional Forum. "State Councillor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang cannot attend this ASEAN ministerial meeting because of health reasons," spokesman Wang Wenbin said. Qin, 57, took over from Wang as foreign minister in December and was last seen in public on June 25 in Beijing after meeting officials from Sri Lanka, Russia and Vietnam. Wang Yi, who is the foreign policy chief for the Chinese Communist Party, ranks above Qin, who as the foreign minister is the government's foreign policy chief.

Persons: Qin Gang, Wang Yi, Wang Wenbin, Wang, Qin, Josep Borrell, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Yew Lun Tian, Karen Lema, Stanley Widianto, Martin Petty, John Geddie, Robert Birsel Organizations: Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Friday's East Asia Summit, ASEAN Regional, Politico, European Union, EU, U.S, Chinese Communist Party, Thomson Locations: Indonesia, China, Jakarta, Wang, Beijing, Sri Lanka, Russia, Vietnam, Washington, Manila

☆ Myanmar crisis, South China Sea tensions loom over ASEAN meet
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Kate Lamb | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JAKARTA, July 11 (Reuters) - Southeast Asia's top diplomats will gather in Indonesia on Tuesday amid pressure to address a bloody political crisis in Myanmar and resolve tensions in the South China Sea where some ASEAN members have overlapping territorial claims with China. The meeting of foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) comes as doubts mount over the credibility and unity of the bloc in dealing with the region's thorniest challenges. Indonesia is also seeking during this week's forum to accelerate talks on a long-stalled code of conduct on the South China Sea. More than $3 trillion in trade passes through the South China Sea each year, and overlapping territorial claims by China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei have led to a spate of confrontations. ASEAN will also hold the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Regional Forum later this week, with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov both slated to attend.

Persons: Human Rights Volker Turk, Retno Marsudi, Antony Blinken, Sergei Lavrov, Stanley Widianto, Kanupriya Kapoor Organizations: ASEAN, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, United, United Nations, Human Rights, . Security, International Criminal Court, East Asia Summit, ASEAN Regional Forum, U.S, Russia's, Thomson Locations: JAKARTA, Indonesia, Myanmar, South China, China, ASEAN, United Nations, Jakarta, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei

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