Managing US-China Tensions 

The takeaway from the meeting between Rubio and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is clear: Washington and Beijing can work through “major differences”.

Rubio said that the US and China have “great differences” that are likely to persist “for the foreseeable future”, but that he and Wang discussed the need to manage those disagreements to ensure Chinese President Xi Jinping has a “very positive visit” to the US in September. On his part, Wang said that the US must “respect China’s core interests… effectively manage differences and disagreements, and address China’s legitimate concerns”, according to an official Chinese summary of their meeting. It described the talks as “pragmatic, positive, and constructive”. 

The meeting was held in the backdrop of yet another round of tensions between Beijing and Manila in the South China Sea region. The Chinese action was predictable as it wanted to test the waters and send a message to the Philippines, the current ASEAN Chair, ahead of the ASEAN and related meetings.

China also wanted to test the US's reaction, and Washington expectedly came out in support of Manila.

At the same time, in his meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, Rubio gave a message that Washington remained open to playing a “constructive role” in ending the war in Ukraine.

New Agreements, Expanded Ties

The ASEAN ministerial meetings in Manila produced new regional agreements, expanded partnerships, and reaffirmed the group’s positions on key regional issues. It reaffirmed that ASEAN remained a platform for dialogue despite growing geopolitical uncertainty. These meetings demonstrate ASEAN’s enduring convening power and its ability to foster dialogue, strengthen partnerships, and build consensus during geo-economic uncertainties.  

The adoption of the Joint Communiqué, which sets out ASEAN’s common position on regional issues, was among the major outcomes. The meetings turned Manila into “a venue for the powers to meet and to talk to each other”, and also underscored the importance of strengthening ASEAN unity and Centrality, while remaining actively engaged, outward-looking, inclusive, and non-discriminatory in our relations with external partners, notwithstanding China’s overwhelming presence in the region and the US efforts to balance it.

The situation in the South China Sea figured high on the agenda of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers. Some Ministers expressed concerns over China’s land reclamations, activities, serious incidents in the area (including actions that put the safety of all persons at risk), and damage to the marine environment.

The need to enhance mutual trust and confidence, besides the importance of exercising self-restraint, was emphasised.

Peaceful Resolution Of Disputes

ASEAN also reaffirmed the need to pursue peaceful resolution of disputes, in accordance with international law, including the1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), emphasising the importance of non-militarisation and self-restraint in the conduct of all activities by claimants and all other states, including those mentioned in the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC). 

ASEAN also acknowledged the sustained momentum in the ongoing final negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC).

The forum reaffirmed its commitment to reinforcing an open, transparent, resilient, inclusive, and rules-based regional architecture that upholds international law. The meetings in Manila stressed the need to cultivate a culture of dialogue and cooperation.

The messaging to China was clear.

Quad And ASEAN

The Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) Foreign Ministers meeting on the sidelines of ASEAN meetings in Manila made ASEAN Centrality a key to the group’s outreach to the region and laid out a plan of action for cooperation.

For years, ASEAN had regretted that the Quad failed to uphold ASEAN Centrality while pursuing its Indo-Pacific strategy. While India and Japan focused on ASEAN Centrality, the US and Australia have been hesitant. 

No Quad outreach can ever be successful by sidelining ASEAN. This realisation dawned after years. Now, the right step has been initiated.  

(The writer is a commentator on geopolitics. Views expressed are personal.)