Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Friday said ASEAN cannot become a proxy for other countries, as US-China tensions rise over issues in the Asia-Pacific region.
Foreign ministers from the Southeast Asian bloc have gathered in Jakarta for talks about regional issues, from the disputed South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost in its entirety, to the crisis in Myanmar, where China is the ruling junta’s main ally.
Disagreements over the waterway have pitted some members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) against Beijing and boosted sympathy for US opposition to China’s growing assertiveness. Others have backed Beijing.
”We in ASEAN are committed to strengthening the unity and solidity as well as centrality in ASEAN to guard the peace and stability in the region.” Läs artikel