The United States will raise concerns about China’s “coercion” in the South China Sea during ministerial meetings with Southeast Asian countries this week, yet will not force countries in the region to pick sides, a senior US official said on Monday, reported the South China Morning Post.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet every day this week with his counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as part of the Biden administration’s emerging focus on Washington’s engagement with and influence over the Indo-Pacific region.
A session on East Asia issues on Tuesday will also see a number of non-Asean countries—including China, Japan and South Korea – take part, said the senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity to preview the meetings.
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