China snubs Russia: Minister WALKS OUT of meeting as fury erupts over Taiwan threats

CHINA’S Foreign Minister Wang Yi has been seen leaving before the ASEAN gala dinner in a dramatic snub to Russia and the US.

By Matthew Dooley

15:39, Thu, Aug 4, 2022 | UPDATED: 17:14, Thu, Aug 4, 2022

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Mr Yi was seen leaving by car before the dinner began. The formal meal was also meant to be attended by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

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The news comes as tensions between the US and China reach boiling point following Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.

It was reported earlier that Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi agreed with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to strongly condemn China’s ballistic missile launch on Thursday – he was also scheduled to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) dinner.

The move can be seen as a snub to Russia as well. Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, was also set to attend the dinner and was likely looking forward to having a de facto ally, China, in attendance.

• Russia and China are currently in the unique position of being much larger nations coveting the territory of a smaller Western-backed neighbour. China has likely been watching the situation in Ukraine play out with Taiwan in mind.

The dinner, held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, was attended by more than a dozen foreign ministers including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japan’s Yoshimasa Hayashi, and senior diplomats of the ASEAN.

Mr Yi left the venue in a snub to Russia. (Image: GETTY)

China-Taiwan LIVE: Two dozen Chinese fighter jets launched as tensions reach new heights

Taiwan claimed China sent 22 fighter jets across the “median line” in the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan’s Defence Ministry said it scrambled jets to warn the aircraft away, just hours after Japanese Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi said China had fired five ballistic missiles into Japanese waters.

Read more on Express.co.uk’s live blog HERE.

According to reports from Reuters, Wang Yi was seen entering a holding room for the dinner, and then walked out without giving a reason.

Two witnesses working at the venue said that he was seen leaving the premises in a vehicle.

The news comes as at least two of the top diplomats, US’ Anthony Blinken and Japan’s Yoshimasa Hayashi, were prepared to condemn China’s launch of several ballistic missiles, five of which landed in Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

• Tensions are extremely high following US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, which China has said is reckless and amounts to supporting Taiwanese independence.