China Cautions Against the Emergence of A “new Cold War” As Major Powers Convene in Southeast Asia.

On Wednesday, China’s premier emphasized the importance of major powers managing their disagreements and preventing the onset of what he termed “a new Cold War.” This statement, though not explicitly mentioned, appeared to allude to Washington. The remarks were made as senior Asian and US officials convened for discussions in Indonesia.

China has voiced apprehensions regarding the formation of US-supported alliances near its borders, while concurrently dealing with disputes with other regional powers, notably concerning the South China Sea and various other matters.

“Disagreements and disputes may arise between countries due to misperceptions, diverging interests or external interferences,” Li Qiang said at the start of an ASEAN-plus-three meeting with Japan and South Korea in Jakarta.

“To keep differences under control, what is essential now is to oppose picking sides, to oppose bloc confrontation and to oppose a new Cold War.”

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), consisting of 10 member countries, is currently conducting separate summits with China, Japan, South Korea, the United States, and Canada. These summits serve as platforms for major powers to engage with the bloc and for their rivalries to unfold.

US Vice President Kamala Harris is representing President Joe Biden, while Li is participating on behalf of President Xi Jinping.

This context follows Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu’s warning in June against the formation of NATO-like alliances in the Asia-Pacific region. He advocated for “inclusive cooperation” rather than “small cliques” during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

The United States is involved in the AUKUS defense partnership with Australia and Britain, as well as the Quad, a strategic alliance with Australia, India, and Japan.

These meetings precede an 18-member East Asia Summit on Thursday, featuring Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and the G20 summit in New Delhi over the weekend, where broader geopolitical issues are expected to dominate discussions.

Vice President Harris met with ASEAN leaders and commended their commitment to international rules and norms and their focus on regional issues. She also announced the establishment of the first US-ASEAN center in Washington, highlighting increased US regional engagement.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol are attending both days of meetings.

Yoon emphasized to ASEAN leaders the importance of not cooperating with North Korea, particularly in light of recent arms talks between North Korea and Russia. He called for an immediate halt to any attempts at military cooperation with North Korea.

Kishida and Yoon discussed various topics with Li, including the dispute between China and Japan over treated wastewater release from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant.

Indonesia, the host, assured during an ASEAN leaders’ summit that the bloc would not become a pawn in big power rivalries, especially in the midst of US-China tensions over Taiwan, the South China Sea, and Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

A roundtable discussion involving Lavrov and Harris will mark the first high-level US-Russia encounter since a foreign ministers’ meeting in Jakarta in July, where Western officials confronted Moscow’s top diplomat over the Ukraine conflict.

ASEAN leaders will also hold summits with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday.

Prime Minister Albanese expressed Australia’s intent to strengthen engagement and economic ties with Southeast Asian nations during a regional forum in Jakarta.

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