ASEAN summit: UN chief warns of 'great fracture'
September 7, 2023
World leaders on Thursday entered into their final day at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) hosted in Indonesia against a backdrop of simmering conflicts.
An undercurrent of tension has accompanied the talks on issues ranging from trade and technology, to China's increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea, the Myanmar junta's refusal to cooperate with ASEAN for a peace plan and suspicion over North Korea's plans to supply weapons to Russia for Moscow's ongoing war in Ukraine.
In his opening statement, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said the summit should be seen as "a forum for us to strengthen cooperation and not sharpen rivalries."
Hectic schedule for visiting Chinese Premier Li
Indian Prime Minister and G20 host Narendra Modi addressed the leaders on Thursday and said it was essential to "build a post-COVID rules-based world order" and make collective efforts to ensure a "free and open Indo-Pacific," region.
The Chinese premier and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also met along the sidelines of the summit on Wednesday to discuss Japan's release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea.
China had banned all aquatic imports from Japan in response.
Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese interacted with China's Li and confirmed he would visit Beijing "later this year."
China asked to address North Korean nuclear threat
South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol was also among the leaders getting together with Li as well and expressed his hopes that China would step up its efforts to rein in the nuclear threat posed by North Korea.
In the meeting, Yoon urged China to "fulfil its responsibility and role as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council."
His national security advisor explained that ongoing nuclear armament in North Korea would only increase cooperation between Seoul and its Western partners in Tokyo and Washington.
Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong is set to visit the reclusive communist state on Saturday, according to North Korean state media reports.
UN chief pushes for inclusivity and peace
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the world risks a "great fracture" of its economic and financial systems.
He called on leaders at the summit to find peaceful and inclusive solutions to the challenges faced by the world.
He suggested the re-channeling of an additional $100 billion (€932 million) of International Monetary Fund's Special Drawing Rights through multilateral development banks to support the needs of developing economies.
Guterres also said he was "deeply concerned" over the "worsening political, humanitarian and human rights" situation in Myanmar, a nation besieged by war since a 2021 military coup.
On Wednesday, ASEAN host Indonesia also expressed "grave concern" over a lack of substantial progress on their five-point peace plan for Myanmar.
US reiterates 'enduring commitment' to Southeast Asia
The summit offered US Vice President Kamala Harris and Chinese Premier Li Qiang a chance to meet a day after Li warned that major powers must manage their differences to avoid a "new Cold War."
The interactions between the two top economies will be closely watched as they seek to control tensions over issues like Taiwan, ties with Moscow and competition for influence in the Pacific.
Harris, who attended the meeting instead of President Joe Biden, emphasized her country's "enduring commitment to Southeast Asia."
Meanwhile, US and Russian leaders found themselves at the same table after almost two months. In July, US and European officials had condemned Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at a meeting over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
The interaction comes just as US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced $1 billion in assistance to Ukraine during a surprise visit on Wednesday.
Can the ASEAN summit resolve tensions in the region?
Experts believe that while the summit brings together major world players, its ability to actually resolve issues is limited.
"It's a sign of the ASEAN convening power, but lately we can say that the East Asia summit is broken. It has been turned into a forum for talking points," said Aaron Connelly, senior fellow at Singapore-based think tank, the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
The group will issue a negotiated joint statement after the summit.
Indonesia, the chair of the 10-member ASEAN, will symbolically hand over the chair to Laos on Thursday.
ns, fg/msh (AFP, AP, Reuters)