“Did ASEAN slap China’s face over the South China Sea? The group “cannot ignore what is happening in the South China Sea as it is an important issue in the relations and co-operation between ASEAN and China,” the statement said. It was not clear whether an amended statement would be issued, although individual members such as Singapore had issued their own mentioning concerns about the South China Sea. The ASEAN statement was issued by Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry to an online chat group, which also sent out the retraction. “We emphasized the importance of non-militarization and self-restraint in the conduct of all activities, including land reclamation, which may raise tensions in the South China Sea,” the statement said.

Source: National Post June 15, 2016 15:11 UTC