Indonesia’s President Calls for Cooperation, Reduction of Tensions

On Thursday, Indonesian President Joko Widodo called on leaders of countries participating in the East Asia Forum in Jakarta to defuse tensions and not provoke new conflicts or wars.

Indonesia, which holds the presidency of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year, also called for using the forum as a platform for cooperation and not to increase hostilities.

Among the files that top the agenda of the summit held in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, are concerns related to China’s increasing activities in the South China Sea, which is an important commercial waterway for many ASEAN countries, amid Chinese demands for sovereignty over most of its area.

Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang stressed the need to avoid a "new Cold War" when dealing with conflicts between countries, pointing out that countries need to "deal with differences and conflicts appropriately."

He added before the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), "Currently it is very important to stand up to the biases and confrontation between the blocs and a new cold war."

The summit, which warns of the dangers of being drawn into great power disputes, will witness broader talks with Chiang, US Vice President Kamala Harris, and leaders of other partner countries, including Japan, South Korea, Australia, and India.

The summit witnessed South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's pledge to work with Japan and China to quickly resume trilateral talks to improve relations.