Southeast Asian foreign ministers meet partners including China, US

Foreign ministers from Southeast Asian nations convened in Manila for a crucial round of bilateral meetings with key global partners, including the United States, China, Russia, and the European Union. The discussions, held on Wednesday, are expected to be particularly intensive, with numerous one-on-one sessions scheduled alongside the main ASEAN forum.

Philippine Foreign Minister Theresa Lazaro, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), opened the day's talks by emphasizing shared challenges and aspirations among Global South nations during a meeting with India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. Later, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was slated to meet with his Southeast Asian counterparts before a courtesy visit to Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos.

The presence of high-level diplomats, including China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Russia's Sergey Lavrov, underscores the region's strategic importance. Wang Yi's visit is especially significant, occurring amid heightened tensions between Beijing and Manila over disputed territories in the South China Sea. The ministers are expected to navigate complex geopolitical dynamics, with both the U.S. and China vying for influence in the region.

Blinken and Wang Yi confirmed they would hold a meeting on the sidelines of the summit, mirroring discussions from the previous year. Lavrov is also expected to engage in private conversations with his Chinese counterpart. Meanwhile, the EU's High Representative, Kaja Kallas, has a packed agenda, including meetings with ministers from New Zealand, Pakistan, Thailand, and Timor-Leste, as well as Brazil's Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira later in the week. These extensive engagements highlight ASEAN's central role in facilitating dialogue on global issues.

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As nations of the Global South, we share common challenges and aspirations.