US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed on Friday the need to preserve freedom of navigation in the South and East China Seas and maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. Blinken made these remarks ahead of talks in Jakarta with Southeast Asian ministers. The waters in question are subject to territorial disputes, with China claiming almost the entirety of the South China Sea. Other Southeast Asian nations, including ASEAN members such as the Philippines, have argued for freedom of navigation in the region and complained about China not respecting their territorial claims. Tensions between China and the US have flared up in recent years due to conflicts in both the disputed waters and Taiwan, which China claims as its territory. The Chinese government has displayed hostility towards foreign warships and military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait, reacting fiercely to their presence. On Thursday, a US reconnaissance plane flew through the Taiwan Strait as China continued its joint air and naval exercises around the island. These developments highlight the increasingly strained relations between Beijing and Washington in the region.
