Wong seeks calm as China begins live-fire drills near Taiwan

Wong arrived in Cambodia on Thursday and held a series of meetings with regional counterparts, including US Secretary of State Anthony Brinken and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Wang accused the United States of violating China’s sovereignty and refused to threaten unification with China’s democratic neighbor of 23 million people, Taiwan.

“We cannot change the irreversible historical trend of Taiwan’s return to the motherland,” he said at a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers. “Those who offend China must be punished.”

Other ASEAN leaders sounded alarms about developments after the meeting in Cambodia.

In a joint statement, members of the regional bloc, which includes Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand, said they were “concerned about international and regional instability” and particularly in areas close to Southeast Asia, “ultimately “This could lead to miscalculations.”

The flare-up over Taiwan has overshadowed discussions between foreign ministers in Phnom Penh about Myanmar’s ongoing crisis.

The military junta’s execution of four pro-government protesters late last month has angered Indonesia, Malaysia and others, and Wong has accused the junta of ignoring ASEAN’s five-point peace plan. “Disappointed,” he said.

The United States, United Kingdom, European Union and Canada have imposed sanctions on the junta since a February 2021 coup ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s democratically elected government, while Australia , as Sydney economist and Suu Kyi adviser Sean Turnell continues, refraining from following the military government. Arrested in Myanmar.

Wong has repeatedly said the Australian government is considering sanctions, but reiterated on Thursday that Turnell is a top priority.

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who is also in Cambodia for the ASEAN Regional Forum and the East Asia Summit, flew from Naypyidaw to meet with Myanmar’s military junta Senior General Min Aung Hlaing on Wednesday. Lavrov was welcomed to Phnom Penh by Cambodian leader Hun Sen on Thursday.

Myanmar is excluded from ASEAN-related meetings where North Korea is also invited.

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