ASEAN Defences Meet on High Alert Amid China's Assertive Stance in South China Sea

VIENTIANE (Laos), November 21: A regional gathering of Southeast Asian defence chiefs with the United States, China, and other partner nations brought together concerns over a simmering standoff in the South China Sea. The meeting was held as tensions escalated due to Beijing's increasingly aggressive territorial claims.

The closed-door talks represented an important moment for improving military-to-military communications between Washington and Beijing, though progress remained fragile. US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin regretted Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun's refusal to meet with him one-on-one, calling it "a setback for the whole region".

This week's ASEAN gatherings coincided with growing unease about the United States' policy towards the South China Sea under its out-going and in-coming administrations. With American influence shifting from President Joe Biden to his successor Donald Trump, concerns persist over Beijing's maritime disputes.

The gathering also saw participation from other countries such as Japan, South Korea, India, Russia, Australia, and New Zealand outside Southeast Asia, who are closely watching developments in the region due to overlapping interests and security tensions.

Other critical issues on the agenda were ongoing skirmishes near the Korean Peninsula and in Europe's conflict zone againstRussia, as well as wars in the Middle East.

Apart from discussing tense maritime disputes, talks focused on regional transnational haze pollution, disinformation operations and securing border areas plagued by illegal trade goods such as drug trafficking.

China has issued claims over nearly all South China Sea areas but its efforts to improve communication through ASEAN and dialogue with other major nations in the region remain uncertain due to issues beyond territorial control over this vast zone of sea space.