Joining Obama and the leaders of the 10 Asean countries in Laos from Sept. 6 to 8, will be leaders from China, India, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and Russia for the East Asia Summit. Sea disputesChina’s claim to most of the South China Sea suffered a setback in July when an international tribunal ruled that its territorial assertions had no legal basis. Beijing pressured Laos to scrap that statement, according to a Southeast Asian official with knowledge of the talks. That’s why any South China Sea references in the final communique will carry extra weight. Zika threatAs Zika spreads in Singapore, the threat of more infection across Southeast Asia is a major challenge for Asean.

Source: Thanhnien News September 05, 2016 09:45 UTC