Asean talks tackle pandemic, sea feud and US-China rivalry

n this image taken from video provided by VTV, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks during an online meeting with ASEAN foreign ministers on Sept 9,2020. South-East Asia’s top diplomats held their annual talks by video Wednesday to discuss the immense crisis wrought by the Covid-19 and rising tensions in the South China Sea amid the escalating rivalry between Washington and Beijing. - AP

HANOI (Vietnam) Sept 11 (AP): South-East Asia’s top diplomats were holding their annual talks by video recently to discuss the immense crisis wrought by the coronavirus pandemic and rising tensions in the South China Sea amid the escalating rivalry between Washington and Beijing.

The Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) ministerial meetings, delayed by a month, were being held online due to continuing health risks posed by Covid-19.

The 10-nation bloc’s foreign ministers are to meet Asian and Western counterparts, including those from the U.S. and China, for talks later in the week, capped by an annual security forum.