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South China Sea tensions, US-China trade war loom over Asean summit
- The meetings come amid accusations from Vietnam that Beijing has become more aggressive in asserting its control in the resource-rich waterway
- US Secretary of State Pompeo will also give speech on US economic engagement in the region
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Rising tensions in the South China Sea and the fallout from US-China trade war are set to dominate talks this week as top diplomats converge in Bangkok for a key Southeast Asia summit.
US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo will be joined at the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting by his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, on the heels of trade negotiations between the two countries in Shanghai on Tuesday.
The meetings come amid accusations from Vietnam and the Philippines that China has become more aggressive in asserting its claim to vast swathes of the South China Sea – a move the US last week termed “bullying behaviour.”
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Still, China will be looking to further advance a long-anticipated maritime code of conduct with Asean – Southeast Asia’s 10-nation bloc – after the two sides agreed to a preliminary draft, an Indonesian official said on Monday.
“The South China Sea will be an important agenda item – they will be seeking to curb any further hardening of stance by the Philippines,” said Alexander Neill, an expert on Chinese military affairs at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. “They are likely to reiterate their sovereignty over the island and reefs and criticise external interference.”
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