A watered-down statement Monday by Southeast Asian nations that failed to mention a landmark legal ruling over China’s claims to most of the South China Sea could diminish the clout of the region’s key grouping, analysts say.
The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) avoided mentioning in its annual foreign minister’s communique the July 12 ruling by the U.N.-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration, instead offering the equivalent of a slap on the wrist to China, the group’s biggest trading partner, over its moves in the disputed waters.
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KEYWORDS
China,
Armed conflicts,
U.S.,
violence,
Vietnam,
energy,
oceans,
Philippines,
Military,
oil,
disputed islands,
South China Sea,
fishing,
ASEAN,
South China Sea ruling
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