European Union condemns China's "aggressive" maneuvers, ASEAN "concerned"

Europe 1 with AFP 06:11, August 04, 2022

European Union Foreign Minister Josep Borrell on Thursday condemned China's "aggressive" military maneuvers, saying there was "no justification" for using the chief's visit to Taiwan "as a pretext". US Congressmen Nancy Pelosi.

“It is normal for MPs from our countries to travel internationally,” he wrote on Twitter from Phnom Penh, on the sidelines of a meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers.

"The world is in urgent need of wisdom"

His counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations warned that the situation around the Taiwan Strait could lead to "open conflicts", in a joint statement issued shortly after.

"ASEAN is concerned about international and regional instability, especially with recent developments in the adjacent ASEAN region, which may lead to miscalculations, serious confrontation, open conflicts, and unpredictable consequences for great powers", they assured.

“The world is in urgent need of wisdom and a sense of responsibility from all heads of state to uphold multilateralism (…) and peaceful coexistence,” they continued.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is in Phnom Penh on Thursday where he is due to meet ASEAN representatives.

His American counterpart Anthony Blinken also made the trip to the Cambodian capital.

Military maneuvers around Taiwan

China's military will kick off the largest military maneuvers in its history around Taiwan on Thursday, a heavy-handed response to US Deputy Chief Nancy Pelosi's visit to the island, who left Wednesday after staying there for less than 24 hours. .

She hammered that the United States would not abandon the island, ruled by a democratic regime and which lives under the constant threat of an invasion by the Chinese army.