China defiant over South China Sea skirmishes in ASEAN talks and blames meddling by foreign forces

VIENTIANE, Laos (AP) — Southeast Asian leaders stepped up pressure on China to respect international law following clashes in the disputed South China Sea, but Chinese Premier Li Qiang was defiant during annual summit talks on Thursday as he blamed “external forces” for interfering in regional affairs.

The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ meeting with Li followed recent violent confrontations at sea between China and ASEAN members Philippines and Vietnam that heightened unease over China’s increasingly assertive actions in the contested waters.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said it was “regrettable that the overall situation in the South China Sea remains tense and unchanged” due to China’s actions, which he said violated international law.

“We continue to be subjected to harassment and intimidation,” he told summit leaders. He called for more urgency in ASEAN’s negotiations with China for a code of conduct to govern the South China Sea. The Philippines, a longtime U.S. ally, has been critical of other ASEAN countries for not doing more to get China to back away.

Li responded by saying the South China Sea is “a shared home” and that China has an obligation to protect its sovereignty, according to an ASEAN official who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the discussion.

Li later said meddling by foreign forces is creating conflicts within the region.

“We must realize that our development is also facing some unstable and uncertain factors. In particular, external forces frequently interfere and even try to introduce bloc confrontation and geopolitical conflicts into Asia,” Li said during an ASEAN meeting with China, Japan and South Korea. He called for more dialogue between countries