Defence ministers from Asean and its eight partners, including the United States and China, wrapped up their one-day virtual meeting on Thursday, with all members reaffirming “the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, security, stability, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight” in the region.
In the group’s first joint declaration since 2013, the ministers agreed to “exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities and avoid actions that may further complicate the situation, and pursue peaceful resolution of disputes, without coercion, in accordance with…
