China foreign minister walks out moments before ASEAN meeting gala dinner

The Chinese government's top diplomat Wang Yi walked out before the start of a gala dinner of foreign ministers at a meeting in Cambodia on Thursday and was seen leaving the venue in a vehicle, witnesses said.

Wang Yi waved to media as he entered a holding room for the dinner then walked out of the venue, without giving a reason, according to Reuters journalists. Two witnesses working at the venue told Reuters Wang Yi was seen leaving in a vehicle.

The dinner was attended by more than a dozen foreign ministers including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japan's Yoshimasa Hayashi, and senior diplomats of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).