![]() In Southeast Asia, surveys of "elite" opinion in the region show that the EU is trusted to uphold international law and as a security partner, according to the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. "Engagement is increasing slowly but surely, albeit from a very low starting point," said Felix Heiduk, senior associate at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. Security cooperation key to regional partnership The EU foreign policy chief later described the meeting as "constructive" and tweeted that Brussels wants to "continue to develop EU-China relations based on trust and respect of international law."īorrell also said at the forum that the EU would do more to engage with countries in the region to help preserve stability.ĭuring his address, Borrell stressed that although the EU has maintained a light-touch approach in the past on security issues, he vowed Brussels intends to exert more effort to maintain peace in the region. China's defense minister accused the US of 'provoking' confrontation in the South China Sea Image: Vincent Thian/AP Photo/picture allianceĪlthough Li did not meet with his US counterpart, Lloyd Austin, the Chinese official did sit down for discussions with European officials, including Borrell and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. Li also bemoaned countries from outside the region "attempting to stir up troubles" by sending their warships on freedom-of-navigation exercises in the South China Sea, where Beijing contests territory with several Southeast Asian nations. ![]() China rejects US meeting, sits down with EuropeĬhinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu warned the forum that any attempt to separate Taiwan from China would be met by a military response without "fearing any adversaries, and regardless of the cost." On Saturday, as the forum was underway, the US Indo-Pacific Command announced that a US naval destroyer, the USS Chung-Hoon, was forced to change course to avoid a collision with a Chinese Navy ship during its passage through the Taiwan Strait between China and Taiwan. This issue has been a major source of tension between the US and China.īeijing has also claimed control of nearly the entire South China Sea, despite an international tribunal ruling that it has no legal basis for most of its claims. "Nothing is far away in a globalized world."Īs tension grows over Beijing's strategic ambitions in the South China Sea, Europe is seeking to develop a cohesive response.Ī potential flash point is Taiwan, a self-ruled island which Beijing considers to be Chinese territory that will one day be "reunited" with the mainland. "We have to work together in order to avoid a confrontation in the region," Borrell told the forum. Josep Borrell, the European Union's foreign policy chief, told the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's top security forum, that Europe and Asia have a "direct stake" in each other's security. Senior European defense officials used a major summit in Singapore over the weekend to spell out their visions for greater security engagement in the Indo-Pacific region, amid concerns over China. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |