US and China Hold Security Talks in Laos Amid South China Sea Tensions
VIENTIANE (Laos), Nov 21: In a bid to address growing tensions in the South China Sea, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin held security talks with Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun in Laos on Thursday. The closed-door discussions came as Beijing's increasingly assertive stance in its claim to most of the disputed waters is leading to confrontations with Southeast Asian nations.
The meeting marked a significant development in efforts by the US and China to improve frayed military-to-military communications, which Austin expressed regret for Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun's decision not to meet him one-on-one earlier at the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meetings. "It was a setback for the whole region," Austin stated.
ASEAN members, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei, have competing claims with China in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost entirely as its own territory. Tensions have escalated in recent years, with Chinese and Philippine vessels clashing repeatedly, and Vietnamese fishermen being assaulted by Chinese forces in disputed areas.
Other than the US and China, nations attending the ASEAN meeting from outside Southeast Asia include Japan, South Korea, India, Russia, Australia, and New Zealand. Discussions at the meetings also addressed tensions in the Korean Peninsula, the Russia-Ukraine war, and wars in the Middle East.
Prior to heading to Laos, Austin concluded meetings in Australia with officials there and with Japan's Defence Minister, who expressed their support for ASEAN and raised concerns about destabilising actions in the East and South China Seas. They also pledged to counter "dangerous conduct by the People's Republic of China" against Philippine and other coastal state vessels.
Experts say the meeting marks a significant step in efforts to address regional security concerns. As China continues to assert its claims, ASEAN nations are looking warily toward a change in American administrations at a time of increasing maritime disputes with Beijing.
Additionally, discussions at the meetings addressed military cooperation between partners, transnational haze, disinformation, border security, and transnational crimes such as drugs, cybercams, and human trafficking. However, progress on issues like the code of conduct governing behaviour in the South China Sea remains slow due to disagreements over whether the pact should be binding.
The talks come as ASEAN members test their credibility amid ongoing conflicts and humanitarian crises, most notably in Myanmar, which has been represented by high-level bureaucrats at the summit despite being barred from previous meetings. The country is still navigating a complex military situation that began when the army ousted an elected government in 2021.