VIENTIANE, Laos — Southeast Asian foreign ministers and top diplomats from key partners including the United States and China were gathering in the Laotian capital on Thursday for the start of three days of talks expected to focus on the increasingly violent civil war in Myanmar, tensions in the South China Sea and other regional issues.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi are expected to hold one-on-one talks on the sidelines of the meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Vientiane, which come as both Beijing and Washington are looking to expand their influence in the region.
A handout photo made available by Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs shows (L-R) Myanmar Foreign Secretary Aung Kyaw Moe, Philippines Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo, Singapore Minister of Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan, Thailand Minister of Foreign Affairs Maris Sangiampongsa, Vietnam Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet, Laos Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith, Malaysia Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamad Hasan, Brunei Second Minister of Foreign Affairs Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof, Cambodia Foreign Minister Sok Chenda Sophea, Indonesia Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi, East Timor Foreign Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas and ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn pose for a group photo during the 57th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) in Vientiane, Laos, 25 July 2024. Laos is hosting the 57th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' Meeting under the theme of ASEAN: 'Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience'. EPA-EFE/THAILAND MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
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