This is a busy time for diplomacy between China and its Southeast Asian neighbors. Senior Chinese officials are holding numerous meetings with their counterparts in the region.
Following the recently-concluded visits from Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, this week also saw calls and meetings with senior envoys from economic powerhouses in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), reportedly covering both economic and regional security issues.
China-ASEAN Meetings:
- VIETNAM: Chinese Premier Li Qiang spoke with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh by phone on Tuesday. It’s Li’s first meeting with a fellow socialist leader since stepping into his post. The Two Corridors One Economic Belt cross-border trade initiative and broader supply chain issues featured prominently.
- INDONESIA: Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, Indonesia’s coordinator of cooperation with China, met with both China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, and Vice President Han Zheng on Tuesday. Shared development and trade initiatives and Indonesia’s upcoming ASEAN presidency topped the agenda.
- PHILIPPINES: Wang Yi also met with former Philippine president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. During the meeting, he warned that: “The two sides must not allow the overall development of bilateral relations to be hindered by maritime issues and their friendly relations sabotaged by third parties,” a reference to Manila’s expansion of military cooperation with the U.S., which Global Times has called a “confrontation.”
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? The flurry of diplomacy shows how China is currently emphasizing outreach to its direct neighborhood, one where economic, security and territorial interests frequently conflict.
SUGGESTED READING:
- South China Morning Post: Top Chinese Officials Stress Infrastructure and Supply Chains in talks with ASEAN Powers by Zhao Ziwen
- Xinhua: Chinese Premier, Vietnam PM Hold Phone Talks
