Military Space News
SUPERPOWERS
China, Russia say to counter 'extra-regional forces' in SE Asia
China, Russia say to counter 'extra-regional forces' in SE Asia
By Stuart GRAHAM and Lillian DING
Vientiane (AFP) July 26, 2024

China and Russia's foreign ministers met their Southeast Asian counterparts Friday after vowing to counter "extra-regional forces", a day before Washington's top diplomat was due to arrive.

Wang Yi and Sergei Lavrov were attending a three-day meeting of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc in the Laos capital Vientiane.

Both held talks with counterparts from the bloc, while Wang also met with new British Foreign Secretary David Lammy.

On Thursday Wang and Lavrov agreed to work together in "countering any attempts by extra-regional forces to interfere in Southeast Asian affairs", according to Moscow's foreign ministry.

They also discussed implementing "a new security architecture" in Eurasia, Lavrov said in a statement, without elaborating.

According to a readout from Chinese state news agency Xinhua, Wang said Beijing was "ready to work with Russia to... firmly support each other, safeguard each other's core interests".

China is a close political and economic ally of Russia, and NATO members have branded Beijing a "decisive enabler" of Moscow's war in Ukraine.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to arrive in Vientiane on Saturday morning for talks with ASEAN foreign ministers.

Blinken has made Washington's alliances in Asia a top foreign policy priority, with the aim of "advancing a free and open" Indo-Pacific -- a veiled way of criticizing China and its ambitions.

But Blinken shortened his Asia itinerary by a day to be present for Thursday's White House meeting between Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Wang and Blinken will meet in Laos, a spokeswoman for Beijing's foreign ministry said, to "exchange views on issues of common concern".

- South China Sea dispute -

On Friday Wang met ASEAN foreign ministers and hailed Beijing's deepening economic ties with the region.

For the customary joint handshake, Wang stood next to Myanmar's representative Aung Kyaw Moe, permanent secretary to the foreign affairs ministry.

The ASEAN bloc has banned Myanmar's junta from high-level meetings over its 2021 coup and crackdown on dissent that have plunged the country into turmoil.

Lavrov also met ASEAN counterparts at the venue in Vientiane but did not take questions from journalists

ASEAN ministers are expected to issue a joint communique after the three-day meeting.

One diplomatic source said the joint communique is being held up by lack of consensus over the wording of the paragraphs on the Myanmar conflict and disputes in the South China Sea.

Beijing claims the waterway -- through which trillions of dollars of trade passes annually -- almost in its entirety despite an international court ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

Several Southeast Asian countries have competing claims..

Related Links
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
SUPERPOWERS
Cash-strapped Hungary borrows 1 bn euros from China
Budapest (AFP) July 25, 2024
Hungary borrowed one billion euros ($1.1 billion) from Chinese banks earlier this year, its debt management agency said on Thursday, as the EU member state faces a difficult financial situation. The Hungarian government did not announce the deal, which was first reported by the local financial news site Portfolio based on publicly available data. Budapest took out a three-year, floating-rate loan from Chinese banks on April 19, data on the Hungarian Government Debt Management Agency's website sh ... read more

SUPERPOWERS
U.S. announces 'significant' $2.2B package of air defense systems for Ukraine

Europe finalizes joint acquisition of Mistral 3 air defense system

US to fast-track Ukraine anti-air missile deliveries

Romania to send Patriot missile system to Ukraine

SUPERPOWERS
Netherlands to stock up on JASSM-ER missiles

Lockheed Martin's Sniper Targeting Pod to Enhance Interoperability Between F-35s and 4th Generation Jets

MBDA Enhances SPEAR Missiles with AI Collaboration Technology

Zelensky urges British Cabinet to drop weapons restrictions on Russian targets

SUPERPOWERS
Royal Australian Air Force Receives First MQ-4C Triton Uncrewed Aircraft

Ukraine says repelled largest Russian drone barrage in months

Former Russian MP says wounded by drone attack in Ukraine

Russian drones attack Ukraine port for a second night

SUPERPOWERS
Northrop Grumman completes PDR for SDA Data Transport Satellites

Akima Wins $480 Million Contract to Enhance U.S. Space Force Satellite Operations

US Army Awards SES Space and Defense Pilot Contract for Managed SATCOM Services

L3Harris Teams with Epirus to Enhance Tactical Radio Performance

SUPERPOWERS
US announces $1.7 bn in new security assistance for Ukraine

Czech army to receive German tanks in Ukraine aid compensation

What we know about Hezbollah's weapons arsenal

GAO finds another $2B in military aid for Ukraine

SUPERPOWERS
US sanctions Huthi weapons procurement network

China tells US it denies charges on Ukraine war

Kyiv to get Dutch, Danish Leopard 2 tanks before Sept

Ukraine's Kuleba warns in Hong Kong of Russia bypassing sanctions

SUPERPOWERS
NATO says cooperation by allies sealed Russia prisoner swap

Italy's Meloni says China 'important interlocutor' in managing global instability

Former US marine Paul Whelan: pawn in US-Russia standoff

China warns US, Japan to 'stop creating imaginary enemies'

SUPERPOWERS
Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.