The Association of Southeast Asian Nations has expressed concern over territorial disputes between some of its members and China in the South China Sea. It called for a peaceful resolution to the matter.
Vietnam chaired the four-day virtual ASEAN summit meeting, which wrapped up on Sunday. The chairperson released a statement on Wednesday.
The statement said, “We discussed the situation in the South China Sea, during which concerns were raised by some Leaders on the developments, including land reclamations, activities and serious incidents in the area.”
It was apparently referring to China, which set up administrative districts on islands in the area earlier this year.
The statement went on to say, “We further reaffirmed the need to pursue peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with the universally recognized principles of international law.”
The statement also referred to North Korea’s denuclearization and urged all concerned parties to resume dialogue.