Blinken chides Beijing's 'escalating actions' in South China Sea

VIENTIANE (Reuters) -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized Beijing's "escalating and unlawful actions" in the South China Sea at a summit on Saturday, while his Russian counterpart said Washington has stoked anxiety with its plan for a nuclear deterrence with ally Seoul for the Korean peninsula.

Blinken singled out China over its coast guard's hostile actions against U.S. defense treaty ally the Philippines in the South China Sea.

But he also lauded the two countries for their diplomacy after Manila completed a resupply mission earlier on Saturday to troops at a disputed shoal, unimpeded by China.

Blinken was attending the security-focused ASEAN Regional Forum alongside diplomats of major powers including Russia, India, China, Australia, Japan and the EU, which included discussions on the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, North Korea's nuclear ambitions and tension in the South China Sea.

The Philippines' small troop presence on a grounded former U.S. Navy ship at the Second Thomas Shoal has angered China for years. The countries have been involved in repeated altercations, causing regional concern about an escalation that could potentially lead to U.S. intervention.

The two sides this week reached an arrangement over how to conduct those missions.

"We are pleased to take note of the successful resupply today of the Second Thomas shoal," Blinken told ASEAN foreign ministers.

"We applaud that and hope and expect to see that it continues going forward."

Blinken held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the gathering, in their sixth meeting since June 2023, when Blinken's visit to Beijing marked an improvement in strained ties between the world's two biggest economies.

Blinken discussed Taiwan