The ASEAN Summit 2024 kicked off on Wednesday with a series of key meetings between Southeast Asian foreign ministers and top diplomats.
With the three-day summit underway, ASEAN aims to work towards better cooperation in the region and to find a solution to issues such as the civil war in Myanmar and the growing tensions with China in the South China Sea.
The ASEAN Summit 2024 kicked off on Wednesday with a series of key meetings between Southeast Asian foreign ministers and top diplomats.
With the three-day summit underway, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations aims to work towards better cooperation in the region and work towards finding a solution to issues such as the civil war in Myanmar and the growing tensions with China in the South China Sea.
For the 2024 ASEAN Summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have also been invited for talks with the regional bloc and to enhance cooperation.
On the top of the list is Myanmar's ongoing civil war. During the next few days, Thailand and its new prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra will be presenting a new peace plan for Myanmar, which is expected to propose an election.
Since 2021, Myanmar has been under military rule and chaos continues to prevail in the Southeast Asian country. The civil war in the country continues with the junta refusing to hold negotiations with the opposition.
Thailand has offered to host an "informal consultation" for the ASEAN members in December this year to try and find an end to the civil war in Myanmar.
Speaking to the regional bloc, Thai PM Shinawatra said - "ASEAN should send a unified message to all parties in Myanmar that there is no military solution. It is time to start talking and Thailand is ready to help".
However, problems arise as ASEAN members are not on the same page regarding the future governance plan for Myanmar, with one section calling for the junta to do more and hold elections and the others calling on the political parties to come together and hold negotiations.
Along with Myanmar, growing tensions in the South China Sea are also expected to be raised. With China and Japan in attendance for the ASEAN Summit, the regional bloc aims to discuss ways to diffuse the tensions and improve maritime relations across the region.
Tensions between China and ASEAN members such as Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei and China over the South China Sea has been a bone of contention over many decades.
However, in 2024, the dramatic escalation in tensions between Manilla and Beijing has once again raised concerns over the maritime dispute.
As per reports, the Chinese coast guard and other forces used powerful water cannons and dangerous blocking manoeuvres to prevent food and other supplies from reaching Filipino navy personnel.
Following this escalation, China and the Philippines have reached a deal to end the confrontations. However, the issue is expected to be discussed during the summit as well due to China's territorial claims over the region.