US: China, Russia block Asean statement on SCS

WASHINGTON – Russia and China blocked a proposed consensus statement for the East Asia Summit drafted by Southeast Asian countries, mainly over objections to language on the contested South China Sea, a US official told Reuters on Saturday.

- By BELLA CARIASO

A draft statement arrived at by consensus by the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was put to the 18-nation East Asia Summit meeting in Laos on Thursday evening, the official said.

"ASEAN presented this final draft and said that, essentially, this was a take-it-or-leave-it draft," the official said on condition of anonymity.

The United States, Japan, Australia, South Korea and India all said they could support it, the official said, adding: "The Russians and the Chinese said that they could not and would not proceed with a statement."