The United States said China is risking terrible damage to its reputation should it continue to ignore the impending international court ruling on the claims of South China Sea. US also urged the ASEAN community to comply with the court's decision.
Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister said the country must defend encroachment of its sovereignty in a veiled swipe at China's territorial claims in the South China Sea, as tensions flared ahead of a regional meeting that Beijing will attend.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter will visit a U.S. aircraft carrier transiting the South China Sea on Thursday, a move sure to raise the ire of China as tensions between Washington and Beijing simmer over the disputed waterway.
Plans for a ceremonial joint statement at the end of a Southeast Asian regional defense forum were dropped on Wednesday after differences between China and the United States over the mention of disputes in the South China Sea in the document.
