Top diplomats gather for key Asia-pacific talks
BANGKOK: Top diplomats from the Asia-pacific region started gathering on Tuesday in the Thai capital to discuss issues of concern to the area, including security on the Korean peninsula and China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea.
The meetings in Bangkok are hosted by the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, chaired this year by Thailand. Thai officials say there will be 27 meetings in all through Saturday, and 31 countries and alliances will participate.
The core ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting brings together the group’s top diplomats, but they are likely to be overshadowed by the big power players attending the adjunct meetings, such as the ASEAN Regional Forum and the East Asia Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
The heavy-hitters in Bangkok include US secretary of state Mike Pompeo, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. Other ASEAN dialogue partners include Australia, India, the EU, Japan and South Korea.
Most attention will be on these side meetings, in which ASEAN will play a supporting role, if any.
A representative of North Korea will be present in Bangkok, a Thai foreign ministry spokesman said last week, though it is not clear if Pyongyang is sending its foreign minister.
Washington has downplayed Pyongyang’s recent launch of medium-range missiles and expressed interest in reviving talks on North Korean denuclearization, so sideline talks are a possibility. Reports say that the US is also willing to hold a sidelines meeting with Japan and South Korea to discuss the bitter trade dispute between the two East Asian nations that threatens to disrupt Seoul’s electronics industry by hindering its purchase of semiconductor components.