China-friendly Laos faces pressure to prioritise Asean’s interests on South China Sea, Myanmar

There are concerns Laos, which has hooked its economic fortunes to Beijing, will ‘do China’s bidding’ as the new Asean chair

But analysts say Asean member states are likely to influence the country to promote the ‘regional interest’ over issues such as the South China Sea and Myanmar

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The Lane Xang electric multiple unit train passes by the China-Laos border line inside a tunnel. File photo: Xinhua

Published: 6:04pm, 26 Jan 2024Updated: 6:31pm, 26 Jan 2024

Southeast Asia is increasingly being caught in the cross hairs of tensions between mainland China and Taiwan, with a recently concluded election on the self-ruled island putting greater pressure on new Asean chair Laos to maintain a delicate balancing act.

In addition to geographical proximity, countries in Southeast Asia also share close economic ties with both Beijing and Taipei, observers say.

At the forefront of the diplomatic crossfire is Manila, which is already embroiled in a rocky relationship with Beijing over territorial disputes in the resource-rich South China Sea.

In the wake of the Taiwanese election earlier this month, China issued statements reprimanding two Asean countries – Singapore and the Philippines – to reiterate its one-China policy after they congratulated winner William Lai Ching-te from the ruling party. But its ire for Manila was more pronounced after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr referred to Lai as “president” in his congratulatory tweet.

Although Marcos Jnr eventually clarified that he did not endorse Taiwan’s independence and remained committed to the one-China policy, the incident sparked a heated exchange between officials from both countries, adding to the existing diplomatic strain.