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ASEAN ministers warn Taiwan tensions could spark 'open conflicts'

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Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Foreign ministers attend a discussion during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Aug. 2, 2022. Kith Serey/EPA-EFE" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/overseas/08/04/asean-foreign-ministers-meeting-epa-8042022.jpg"/><figcaption>Foreign ministers attend a discussion during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Aug. 2, 2022. <em>Kith Serey/EPA-EFE</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>PHNOM PENH — Southeast Asian foreign ministers urged restraint Thursday as China readied massive military drills off Taiwan, warning the situation risked spiraling into &quot;open conflicts&quot;.</p><p>A furious Beijing is planning its <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/08/03/22/china-says-military-drills-around-taiwan-strait-necessary-just">biggest-ever exercises around Taiwan</a> in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi&#x27;s visit to the self-ruled island.</p><p>Ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Phnom Penh warned against &quot;provocative action&quot;.</p><p>The situation &quot;could lead to miscalculation, serious confrontation, open conflicts and unpredictable consequences among major powers,&quot; the ministers said in a joint statement published Thursday.</p><p>Beijing, which considers Taiwan a part of its territory to one day be reclaimed, by force if necessary, was enraged by the trip by Pelosi -- the highest-profile elected US official to visit the island in 25 years.</p><p>It vowed &quot;punishment&quot; and announced military drills, including live-fire exercises, expected to begin at 12 noon (Manila time) in several areas encircling Taiwan.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/08/03/22/taiwan-defiant-as-china-readies-military-drills-over-pelosi-visit">Taiwan&#x27;s Tsai defiant as China readies military drills over Pelosi visit</a></li></ul><p>EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, in Phnom Penh for talks with ASEAN, condemned the Chinese response.</p><p>&quot;There is no justification to use a visit as pretext for aggressive military activity in the Taiwan Strait. It is normal and routine for legislators from our countries to travel internationally,&quot; he tweeted.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/08/03/22/the-taiwan-strait-a-history-of-crises">The Taiwan Strait: A history of crises</a></li></ul><p>Kung Phoak, Cambodia&#x27;s deputy foreign minister and ASEAN spokesman, urged both sides to stabilize the situation. </p><p>“We hope de-escalation happens… and normalcy returns to the Taiwan Strait,” he told reporters.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/08/03/22/chinas-pelosi-bombast-shows-insecurity-over-taiwan-analysts">China&#x27;s Pelosi bombast shows insecurity over Taiwan: analysts</a></li></ul><p>ASEAN is split between countries with close ties to China, such as Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, and others that are warier of Beijing and its growing international assertiveness. </p><p>But no ASEAN country formally recognizes Taiwan and none have shown an appetite for backing Taipei against the communist giant.</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2155792" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

Southeast Asian foreign ministers urged restraint as China readied massive military drills off Taiwan. 