US Defense Secretary Mark Esper and South Korean Defence Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo in Seoul on November 15. Photo: AP

Beijing’s South China Sea stance and US ‘truancy’ set to headline Asean defence meeting

US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper and Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe will meet in Bangkok with ministers from the 10-member Asean bloc and six other countries
Tensions between Vietnam and China over territorial disputes rose ahead of this weekend’s Asean Defence Ministers Meeting Plus, creating a potential flashpoint

Topic | Asean

Bhavan Jaipragas

Published: 5:30pm, 15 Nov, 2019

Updated: 4:48am, 16 Nov, 2019

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper and South Korean Defence Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo in Seoul on November 15. Photo: AP

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Bhavan Jaipragas

Bhavan is Asia Correspondent for the SCMP, covering breaking news, politics, diplomacy, trade and Southeast Asian macroeconomic trends. His work for the Post's Asia desk also focuses on the region's multifaceted interactions with the United States and China. A Singapore native, Bhavan previously worked for Agence France-Presse.