ASEAN’s external partnerships key to regional resilience, says Vivian

One of the most closely watched engagements on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Manila was a meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Both nations agreed to keep ties on a stable footing ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s planned visit to Washington in September. Hoo Tiang Boon, an associate professor at Singapore’s NTU, told The Straits Times that the positive messaging coming out of the Rubio-Wang meeting continues the momentum of stabilising ties between the US and China. “It’s sending the signal that both sides, particularly the US, want Xi’s visit to succeed,” said Hoo, who specialises in Chinese foreign policy. “The fundamental problems that exist between China and the US are structural, and I don’t think any side will be able to resolve them any time soon,” he added. “But at the very least, it looks like they want to create structures to help mitigate differences.”

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