Asean stresses 'serious' S. China Sea concerns

Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi - the co-chairs at a special Asean-China foreign ministers' meeting - with their counterparts from Asean member nations in south-west China's Yunnan province yesterday.PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE.

YUNNAN: Asean's foreign ministers reiterated their "serious concerns" to China over South China Sea developments at a special meeting, as their Chinese counterpart urged them not to view the disputed waters as "the sum of China-Asean ties".

But in a hint of the challenges that remain between the two sides, a joint press conference yesterday between the co-chairs of the meeting - Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi - was helmed at the last minute only by Wang.