Southeast Asian foreign ministers have urged restraint as China launched massive military drills off Taiwan.

The ministers in a joint statement in Phnom Penh said that the situation could lead to miscalculation, serious confrontation, open conflicts and unpredictable consequences among major powers. Meanwhile, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken at a meeting with ASEAN ministers said the US has contacted China at every level of government in recent days to call for calm and stability.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, speaking on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit, said the flagrant provocation by United States has set an egregious precedent.