Leaders of Southeast Asia and Australia called for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday and warned against actions that “threaten” peace in the South China Sea, amid claims of Beijing's belligerence in the region.
“We call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire” in the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the leaders of Australia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) said.
He…
Leaders of Southeast Asia and Australia called for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday and warned against actions that “threaten” peace in the South China Sea, amid claims of Beijing's belligerence in the region.
“We call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire” in the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the leaders of Australia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) said.
The Gaza issue was one of the topics that generated the most discussion at the summit in Melbourne with the 10 Muslim-majority ASEAN states, including Indonesia and Malaysia.
They found more consensus on the South China Sea issue, as the bloc had concerns about the stance of Beijing, which claims sovereignty over most of that sea, and clashes with some countries that also claim sovereignty over some parts of the sea Zone.
“We encourage all countries to avoid unilateral actions that endanger peace, security and stability in the region,” said the final statement of the summit that began on Monday.
Advertisement – Scroll to continue
This week, the Philippines reported a confrontation between that country's coast guard ships and China near an atoll that both countries claim.
sft/arb/mca/mas/zm