Southeast Asian leaders call for unity amid global tensions

Participants included U,S, President Joe Biden and Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang

Cambodian leader Hun Sen called for unity on November 13, 2022, telling a gathering including Russia, China and the United States that current global tensions have been taking a toll on everyone.

The Prime Minister, whose country holds the rotating chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, said at the opening of the East Asia Summit that it was in the world's common interest to cooperate to solve differences peacefully.

The comments come as regional tensions remain high between the United States and China over Taiwan and Beijing's growing regional aspirations, and while the Russia invasion of Ukraine has disrupted global supply chains, causing rising energy and food prices far beyond Europe.

Without singling out any nation by name, Hun Sen said he hoped leaders would embrace a “spirit of togetherness in upholding open and inclusive multilateralism, pragmatism and mutual respect in addressing the existential and strategic challenges we all face.”

“Many current challenges and tensions have been hindering our past hard-earned efforts to promote sustainable development and causing greater hardship to people's lives,” he said as he opened the meeting, which is running in parallel to the ASEAN group's main summit.

Participants included U,S, President Joe Biden and Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang, and it comes just a day before the highly anticipated meeting between Mr. Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Group of 20 summit in Bali.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was also taking part in the meetings, which also included the leaders of Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan and others.