The crisis in Ukraine has sounded the alarm for mankind

Southeast Asian countries must avoid following in the footsteps of Ukraine and beware of being used as geopolitical pawns by foreign forces that are sowing discord in the region for their own gain, China’s top diplomat has warned.

“The crisis in Ukraine has sounded the alarm for mankind and similar tragedies must not be staged in Asia,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday in a video address at a think tank conference hosted by the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia in Jakarta. “We must promote regional security through dialogue and cooperation and oppose seeking absolute security at the expense of other countries.”

Wang warned of a “backstage manipulator” ; apparently referring to the US, that is fanning the flames of controversy over South China Sea territorial disputes. “This black hand hiding behind the scenes must be exposed,” he said. “China is always willing to work with relevant countries to properly resolve differences through dialogue and seek effective ways to control the maritime situation.”