VIENTIANE: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned Beijing’s “increasingly dangerous” actions in the South China Sea as he met leaders of the ASEAN bloc in Laos on Friday (Oct 11).
China has deployed military and coast guard vessels in recent months in a bid to eject the Philippines from a trio of strategically important reefs and islands in the South China Sea.
It has also been ratcheting up pressure over a disputed island group controlled by Japan in the East China Sea, rattling Tokyo and its allies.
“We remain concerned about China’s increasingly dangerous and unlawful actions on the South and East China Seas, which have injured people, harmed vessels from ASEAN nations and contradict commitments to peaceful resolution of disputes,” Blinken told Southeast Asian leaders gathered in that Laos capital Vientiane.
“The United States will continue to support freedom of navigation and freedom of overflight in the Indo-Pacific,” he said.
The top diplomat said the United States also hoped to work with ASEAN leaders to “protect stability across the Taiwan Strait”, a source of constant tension with China.
Beijing this week denounced remarks by Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te who vowed to “resist annexation” by China, which claims the self-governing democracy.
