US raises alarm over China’s growing assertiveness in South China Sea

By Anadolu staff

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday expressed concern over China's increasing actions in the disputed South China Sea.

Speaking at a summit between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the US in Vientiane, Laos, on the sidelines of an ongoing summit of the bloc, Blinken said the US seeks to strengthen economic ties with the regional bloc.

"We remain concerned about China’s increasingly dangerous and unlawful actions in the South and East China Seas, which have injured people and harmed vessels from ASEAN nations, and contradict commitments to peaceful resolution of disputes," he said, according to the Department of State.

"The United States will continue to support freedom of navigation and freedom of overflight in the Indo-Pacific," he added.

Blinken emphasized the importance of maintaining a shared commitment to preserving stability across the Taiwan Strait.

"Advancing our shared vision also means coming together to address shared challenges to that vision — from the deepening crisis in Myanmar, to the DPRK's (North Korea's) destabilizing behavior, to Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine, which continues to violate principles at the heart of the United Nations Charter and at the heart of ASEAN's Treaty of Amity and Cooperation," he said.

According to an ASEAN statement, the sides also came to an agreement on promoting safe, secure, and trustworthy artificial intelligence, with a view to unlocking its potential while mitigating risks.

"Recognising the significant potential for Artificial Intelligence to improve the lives of the peoples, including through the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals," it said.

The ASEAN region is home to more than 700 million people, spans 4.5 million square kilometers (1.7 million square miles), and recorded a total gross domestic product of $3.62 trillion in 2022.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid