The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) convened in Laos on Wednesday to tackle pressing regional issues, including the ongoing crisis in Myanmar and escalating tensions in the South China Sea.
This meeting of Asean foreign ministers is a precursor to two high-stakes summits scheduled for Saturday, which will include top diplomats from major global powers such as the United States, European Union, Japan, China, and Russia.
The Myanmar conflict
The Asean ministers are seeking to revive efforts to resolve the crisis in Myanmar, which has descended into a civil war following a 2021 military coup. The conflict has resulted in significant displacement, with the United Nations estimating 2.6 million people affected.
Asean’s largest members (Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia) have expressed frustration over the Myanmar junta’s lack of commitment to dialogue and peace efforts.
This situation has tested the bloc’s credibility and the feasibility of a five-point peace plan, which was established months after the coup.
The meeting involved a “troika” of Asean countries: Indonesia, Laos, and next year’s chair, Malaysia. The group discussed ways to implement the peace plan, though no new approaches were announced.
Indonesian diplomat Ngurah Swajaya talked about the troika’s focus on ensuring continuity in delivering humanitarian aid and fostering inclusive national dialogue, Reuters reports. However, the three countries acknowledged that other nations might pursue additional initiatives to support Asean’s efforts in Myanmar.
South China Sea tensions
Asean’s agenda includes the long-standing issue of the South China Sea, a vital maritime region claimed by multiple Asean members and China.
The bloc aims to expedite the finalization of a code of conduct with Beijing, a process initiated in 2002 but only in active negotiation since 2017. The urgency has increased due to ongoing confrontations between China and the US-backed Philippines over disputed reefs within Manila’s exclusive economic zone.
The Philippines, along with Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei, contests China’s expansive territorial claims in the region.
During the Asean summits in Laos, the Philippines will propose establishing an Asean Coast Guard Forum to facilitate dialogue and law enforcement among member states. This initiative is expected to provoke China, which remains opposed to the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated its extensive claims over the South China Sea under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), despite Beijing’s support for the code of conduct.
Indonesia remains optimistic about concluding the code by 2026. However, some analysts are skeptical about the possibility of achieving a binding and enforceable agreement, given the diverse interests of Asean states and the insistence on aligning the code with UNCLOS.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to advocate for adherence to international law in the South China Sea during the upcoming summits.
These meetings will also include Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and representatives from Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, and Russia.
The East Asia Summit and the Asean Regional Forum will address a range of global issues, including the conflict in Gaza, the war in Ukraine, food security, climate change, trade protectionism, and North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.