VIENTIANE, Laos (AP) — Southeast Asian defense chiefs met Thursday with China, the United States and other partner nations in Laos for security talks, which come as Beijing’s increasingly assertive stance in its claim to most of the South China Sea is leading to more confrontations. The closed-door talks put U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd…
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday sharply criticised China’s “increasingly dangerous and unlawful actions” in the dispute over territorial claims in the South China Sea. These had “injured people, harmed vessels from ASEAN nations and contradict commitments to peaceful resolution of disputes,” Blinken said in the Laotian capital Vientiane at the summit of…
Southeast Asia is playing an ever-growing part in China’s investment and diplomatic decisions, particularly as Beijing’s rivalry with Washington heats up. In the final instalment of a four-part series on China’s ties with Asean, Hayley Wong looks at Beijing’s efforts to expand defence cooperation in the region. China is looking to forge closer defence ties…