Blinken Chides Beijing's 'Escalating Actions' At Sea, Concerned Over Taiwan

7/27/2024 3:15:20 PM

(MENAFN- AzerNews) U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticised Beijing's "escalating and unlawful actions" in the South China Sea at a summit on Saturday, where his Russian counterpart said Washington has stoked anxiety in its plan for a nuclear deterrence with ally Seoul for the Korean peninsula, Azernews reports.

Blinken singled out China over its coast guard's hostile actions against U.S. defence treaty ally the Philippines in the South China Sea, but also lauded the two countries for their diplomacy after Manila completed a resupply mission earlier on Saturday to troops at a disputed shoal, unimpeded by China.

Blinken was attending the security-focused ASEAN Regional Forum on Saturday alongside diplomats of major powers including Russia, India, China, Australia, Japan and the EU, which included discussions on the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, North Korea's nuclear ambitions and tension in the South China Sea.

The Philippines' small troop presence on a grounded former U.S. navy ship at the second Thomas Shoal has for years angered China, which has clashed repeatedly with the Philippines over its resupply missions, causing regional concern about an escalation that could potentially lead to U.S. intervention.

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