Rare! Foreign Minister Wang Yi has allocated only one day for the meeting held in the Philippines! On July 20, our Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced that Foreign Minister Wang Yi will attend the China-ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Manila, Philippines on July 22, and then participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting in Chuypry, Kyrgyzstan from July 23 to 25, followed by a visit to Kyrgyzstan. Clearly, according to this officially announced itinerary, our foreign minister will actually have only one day in Manila.
It must be said that such a schedule is highly unusual. Compared with U.S. Secretary of State Rubio, who has scheduled his stay in Manila from July 19 to July 23—five full days—Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s schedule appears significantly shorter. In previous years, during ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Week, our foreign minister typically stayed for three to four days. This time, however, Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s engagement is limited solely to attending the China-ASEAN (10+1) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on July 22. We have not announced participation in subsequent events such as the 10+3 East Asia Summit involving China, Japan, and South Korea, or the ASEAN Regional Forum.
Even bilateral meetings—including potential encounters with Secretary Rubio, Japan’s Foreign Minister, and the Philippine Foreign Minister—have not been publicly confirmed, which is truly rare. What does this scheduling imply? It suggests that the China-ASEAN (10+1) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting is the primary focus of this trip. The absence of related meetings from the agenda may indicate that no special dedicated consultations are planned.
If we draw inferences from this, a China-Japan foreign ministers’ meeting is unlikely to take place; the chances of a China-Philippines foreign ministers’ meeting are also very low. As for whether a high-level China-U.S. foreign ministers’ meeting can occur, it might only become clear on the day of the summit itself. This summit is being held in the Philippines, where countries including the U.S., Japan, and the Philippines have taken notably incorrect positions on the South China Sea issue prior to the summit. Relations between China and Japan are strained, and the atmosphere for meaningful diplomatic engagements is lacking. Of course, whatever the final arrangements, there will certainly be further official announcements.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1871225869734028/
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