Opinion

Amid rising tensions across the Taiwan Strait, Asean has to tread carefully

Frayed cross-strait ties and the gulf between Beijing and Washington over Taiwan present hurdles in Asean’s attempt to play a constructive role in promoting dialogue

Unlike major powers like the US, the grouping is more reluctant to upset its big neighbour and largest trade partner

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Lucio Blanco Pitlo III is president of the Philippine Association for Chinese Studies and research fellow at the Asia-Pacific Pathways to Progress Foundation.

Published: 5:30am, 29 Jan 2024

The election of William Lai Ching-te as Taipei’s leader portends turbulence across the Taiwan Strait. For Southeast Asia, the hotspot is now more dangerous, given the actors involved and the importance they attach to the issue, the dearth of formal dialogue between the direct parties, Beijing’s non-disavowal of the use of force and the deadlines floated for unification.

The Taiwan Strait is connected to the South China Sea, another regional hotspot where both Beijing and Taipei, along with four Southeast Asian states, lay claim to disputed areas. Unlike major powers like the US, Asean has a less elastic one-China policy; the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is more reluctant to upset its big neighbour and largest trade partner.

Frayed cross-strait ties and the gulf between Beijing and Washington over Taiwan present hurdles in Asean’s attempt to play a constructive role in promoting dialogue.