US Vice President Kamala Harris and Chinese Premier Li Qiang are set to meet with leaders at Thursday’s summit as they seek to pitch Southeast Asia on competing visions for global security amid brewing regional tensions.
The two donned a traditional Indonesian garment known as batik and exchanged pleasantries with Asian heads of state over dinner in Jakarta on Wednesday after Li earlier in the day urged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to oppose moves that could lead to a “new Cold War.”
Observers will be watching whether the Chinese premier will meet on the sidelines with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida or South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who are also in attendance.
Harris, meanwhile, sought to demonstrate America’s enduring commitment to the region after the heads of the 10-nation bloc expressed disappointment over the absence of President Joe Biden.
While the region practices a collective non-alignment in the broader geopolitical competition between the US and China, Asean leaders remain anxious about the prospect of a regional conflict over Taiwan or in the South China Sea, while also being under pressure to address the rising violence in Myanmar.
All times local
Albanese to Meet Li (6:50 a.m.)
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will meet with the Chinese premier on the sidelines of the summit on Thursday, in the latest sign of warming relations between Canberra and Beijing.
Harris Meets Marcos, Touts ‘Ironclad’ Ties (6:20 p.m.)
Harris highlighted America’s “ironclad” alliance with the Philippines during a meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on the margins of the summit. The two leaders discussed maritime security in the South China Sea, and opportunities to enhance bilateral maritime cooperation, “including alongside like-minded partners,” according to a White House statement.
The Philippines has not only grown close with the US under Marcos’s leadership, but has also been seen firming up relationships with Washington’s other allies, namely Japan and Australia, in a bid to strengthen its defense posture in the region.
--With assistance from Ben Westcott, Isabel Reynolds, Chandra Asmara and Faris Mokhtar.
Author: Philip J. Heijmans