China had flagged ahead of the Ulaanbaatar get-together that it did not want the South China Sea to be discussed, saying it was not an appropriate venue. "The Europeans wanted lots on the South China Sea but the Asians didn't." China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the summit and the South China Sea. China has refused to recognize Tuesday's ruling by an arbitration court in The Hague invalidating its vast claims in the South China Sea and did not take part in the proceedings brought by the Philippines. No bilateralThe panel ruled Beijing's actions in the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion of trade moves annually, had interfered with the Philippines' sovereign rights.

Source: Thanhnien News July 16, 2016 07:52 UTC