Minister: Beijing not advancing claims in South China Sea with Covid-19 as cover

China has overlapping territorial claims with Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam in the South China Sea. Rebutting claims that Beijing was taking advantage of the distraction caused by the pandemic in South-east Asia, Finance Minister Wang Yi said China has been working with Asean countries to beat the coronavirus. - The Straits Times/Asian News Network

BEIJING: In an exclusive interview with The Straits Times, China is not making use of Covid-19 to assert its dominance in the South China Sea, said its foreign minister, Wang Yi.

Rebutting claims that Beijing was taking advantage of the distraction caused by the pandemic in South-east Asia, Wang said China has been working with Asean countries to beat the coronavirus.