President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to release a chairman’s statement on the South China Sea at the end of the one-day Association of Southeast Asian (ASEAN) leaders meeting on Saturday. But Duterte’s chairman’s statement, which is meant to reflect the views of all ASEAN leaders, will not mention the international tribunal ruling nor China directly, according to a draft obtained by AFP. “We shared the serious concerns expressed by some leaders over recent developments and escalation […]
Tag: UN tribunal
Vietnam warns South China Sea is a ‘test’ of ASEAN
VIENTIANE, Laos (AFP) — Vietnam has warned that the inability of Southeast Asian nations to forge a unified front against Beijing’s militarization of the South China Sea is a “test” of the regional bloc in the face of its greatest security challenge. The unusually strong comments from a key claimant to the contested waters, comes as diplomats meet in Laos for the first summit since a UN-backed tribunal debunked Beijing’s legal claim to vast stretches […]





