Tensions Rise Over South China Sea Disputes
The ASEAN summit in Laos has highlighted growing tensions in the South China Sea. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized China's increasingly perilous actions in the region, which have led to incidents with ASEAN states. China's expansive claims over the South China Sea were invalidated by a 2016 UN arbitral tribunal ruling, but the country continues to assert its dominance. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has urged for swift negotiations on a code of conduct to manage these..
