No plans for Blinken to meet Chinese, Russian counterparts in Cambodia: US Official

PHNOM PENH (REUTERS, AFP) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has no plans to meet his Chinese or Russian counterparts while in Cambodia for an Asean security meeting, said a senior State Department official on Wednesday (Aug 3).

Mr Blinken had discussed the possibility of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Taiwan with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Bali last month, said the official.

Foreign ministers from the 10-country Asean, or Association of South-east Asian Nations, are expected to discuss the situation in Myanmar at the meetings this week - the first face-to-face talks during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Both Mr Blinken - and Mr Wang, China's foreign minister - are in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh for the meetings, which included officials from more than a dozen other countries.

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the meetings on Wednesday, Mr Wang vowed to punish those who offend Beijing, state media reported, as the country seethes over Mrs Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

"This is a complete farce. The United States is violating China's sovereignty under the guise of so-called 'democracy'...those who offend China will be punished," Mr Wang said.