VIENTIANE, Oct 11 (AFP): The United States and its allies clashed on Friday with Russia and China at a summit in Laos dominated by disputes on maritime claims and Ukraine.
World leaders descended on the normally tranquil, temple-lined streets of the Laotian capital Vientiane, which marked a rare occasion bringing together the top US and Russian diplomats.
The East Asia Summit came on the heels of meetings of the ASEAN bloc, where the Philippines has led the charge in criticising Beijing's actions in the hotly disputed South China Sea.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, meeting ASEAN leaders before the full summit, reiterated calls for freedom of navigation in the bustling waterway.
"We remain concerned about China's increasingly dangerous and unlawful actions on the South and East China Seas, which have injured people, harmed vessels from ASEAN nations and contradict commitments to peaceful resolution of disputes," Blinken said.
China has deployed military and coast guard vessels in recent months in a bid to eject the Philippines from a trio of strategically important reefs and islands in the South China Sea.
Russia calls US actions in Asia
'destructive' at ASEAN summit
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday called US actions in Asia "destructive", accusing Washington of being behind a "militarisation" of Japan and attempting to turn other countries against Russia and China.
"The destructive character of US actions in this part of the world is obvious," Lavrov told reporters at an East Asia Summit in Laos.
Asked about Japan's proposal for a NATO-style Asian pact, Lavrov said: "Ideas about creating military blocs always carry risks of confrontation that could escalate".
"As far as Japan is concerned, we are seriously concerned about its militarisation... The Japanese are obviously being pushed to such a course by the United States," he said.
Lavrov also said the US, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia had attempted to make the summit's final statement "deeply politicised" and it therefore "could not be adopted".
Blinken condemns China's 'increasingly dangerous' sea moves
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned Beijing's "increasingly dangerous" actions in the South China Sea and voiced support for freedom of navigation as he met leaders of the ASEAN bloc on Friday.
"We remain concerned about China's increasingly dangerous and unlawful actions on the South and East China Seas, which have injured people, harmed vessels from ASEAN nations and contradict commitments to peaceful resolution of disputes," Blinken told Southeast Asian leaders gathered in Laos.
"The United States will continue to support freedom of navigation and freedom of overflight in the Indo-Pacific," he said.
Blinken said that the United States also hoped to work with ASEAN leaders to "protect stability across the Taiwan Strait", where tension has risen again as China this week denounced remarks by the self-governing democracy's president.
Blinken is representing the United States at the annual Southeast Asian meeting, where China has heard directly from leaders of concern about the dispute-rife South China Sea.
The Philippines has been alarmed by violent incidents as Beijing exerts its claims in the strategic waterway.
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