Asean warns on risk of Taiwan 'miscalculation', ready to help dialogue

Southeast Asia's Asean regional bloc warned on Thursday of a risk that volatility caused by tensions in the Taiwan Strait could lead to "miscalculation, serious confrontation, open conflicts and unpredictable consequences among major powers".

Asean made the remarks in a statement from its foreign ministers after its chair, Cambodia, urged all sides to de-escalate tension over Taiwan.

The meeting in Phnom Penh of the 10-member bloc, which is being joined by a string of top officials from other countries, including China and the United States, has been overshadowed by developments in Taiwan following the visit by the US house speaker Nancy Pelosi.

"Asean stands ready to play a constructive role in facilitating peaceful dialogue between all parties," Asean said as it called for maximum restraint and for all sides to refrain from provocation.

The Pelosi trip, the highest-level US visit to self-ruled Taiwan in 25 years, has sparked outrage in China, which has responded with a burst of military exercises and other activity in the area.

Southeast Asian countries tend to tread a careful line in trying to balance their relations with China and the United States, wary of angering either of the major powers.

Speaking in Phnom Penh, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi called Pelosi's visit "manic, irresponsible and highly irrational", China's CCTV reported.

Pelosi has dismissed Chinese criticism of her visit, and a senior US official said on Wednesday that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had raised the prospect of the visit with Wang last month.

Chinese state media said there was no plan for Wang and Blinken to meet in Cambodia.

China's foreign ministry said a meeting between Wang and his Japanese counterpart on the sidelines of the Asean gathering had been cancelled, citing displeasure over a G7 statement urging China to resolve tension over Taiwan peacefully.

Blinken did not raise Pelosi's visit on Thursday in remarks to reporters in Cambodia.

After meeting his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Blinken hailed a "shared vision ... for a free and open Indo-Pacific".

Blinken, who is among 27 foreign ministers set to join an Asean Regional Forum security meeting on Friday, said his talks with Jaishankar had covered "the situation in Sri Lanka, Burma, and a number of other hot spots".

Pushing Myanmar

The Asean talks had been expected to focus on the bloc's foundering diplomatic push to resolve the crisis in Myanmar, also known as Burma, which has been in turmoil since the military seized power in a coup last year.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Wednesday that Asean would be forced to reconsider a peace plan agreed with Myanmar if its military rulers executed more prisoners.

Asean has pushed the Myanmar junta to follow a peace "consensus" agreed last year and has condemned its recent execution of four activists linked to a movement opposed to military rule, its first executions in decades.

The Myanmar junta last week defended the executions as "justice for the people", brushing off a barrage of international condemnation.

Myanmar is a member of Asean but is not represented at this week's meetings after its military declined a proposal to send a non-junta representative. Asean has barred the generals until progress in the peace plan is demonstrated.

Some members of Asean have been increasingly strident in their criticism of Myanmar.

Singapore's foreign ministry said on Wednesday Myanmar had "disrespected" the peace effort.

"Without any progress on this front, further engagement with the Myanmar military authorities would be of limited value," the Singapore ministry said.

Still, some analysts and diplomats question what other measures Asean, which has a tradition of non-interference in each other's internal affairs, will be prepared to take against Myanmar.

- Reuters