ASEAN Forum Confronts Middle East Crisis and Regional Security

MANILA_Senior diplomats from Asia, Europe and North America gathered in Manila on Thursday for the ASEAN Regional Forum, where escalating conflict in the Middle East, energy security, the war in Ukraine and tensions in the South China Sea dominated the agenda.

The security-focused meeting, hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), brought together US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and senior officials from China, Japan, India, Australia, Britain and other participating countries.

Diplomats were expected to call for a peaceful resolution to the renewed hostilities in the Middle East, with the conflict and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz emerging as key concerns. The developments have heightened fears over global energy supplies and inflation, particularly in Southeast Asia, where economies rely heavily on oil imports from the Middle East.

China’s Vice Foreign Minister Hua Chunying told a meeting involving ASEAN, China, Japan and South Korea that the world had entered “a new period of turbulence and transformation.” She said the conflict in the Middle East had disrupted energy and food supply chains, weakened security and resilience, and underscored the urgent need to preserve peace and stability.

The regional gathering came 12 days after the collapse of the Middle East ceasefire. The United States continued military strikes for a 12th consecutive night, while Iran-aligned Houthi forces claimed attacks on two Saudi oil tankers as part of a blockade that has raised concerns over shipping through the Red Sea in addition to risks surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking on Wednesday, Rubio said Washington continued to favor a diplomatic solution with Iran but questioned Tehran’s willingness to engage in meaningful negotiations. He said the United States believed Iran was not serious about talks.

Rubio was also scheduled to meet Lavrov on the sidelines of the forum to discuss the war in Ukraine. The US secretary of state said Washington was seeking to play a constructive role in efforts to end the conflict.

Maritime security in the South China Sea also featured prominently in discussions following renewed tensions between China and the Philippines. Earlier this week, Chinese and Philippine forces were involved in a confrontation near a disputed reef inside Manila’s exclusive economic zone, prompting both governments to summon each other’s ambassadors.

China continues to claim sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, including areas that overlap with the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Beijing rejects a 2016 international arbitration ruling that found its sweeping maritime claims had no legal basis under international law.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told ASEAN counterparts that the South China Sea should remain “our common home” and called for cooperation rather than confrontation. According to an official Chinese statement, he urged regional countries to resist what he described as the interference of outside powers and to take the lead in maintaining peace and stability in the disputed waters.

The ASEAN Regional Forum remains one of the region’s principal multilateral security platforms, bringing together member states and major global powers to discuss strategic, political and security challenges affecting the Indo-Pacific and beyond.