MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The meeting took place after the UN-appointed arbitration court in Hague rejected China's expansive claims to the South China Sea resources. The trial was initiated by Philippines, China has stated that it would not accept the ruling.
According to the Kyodo news agency, 10-member bloc could not produce a unified stance after hours of negotiations. Senior officials from Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia, which have close ties with China, were not able to narrow differences over the wording for a paragraph on the South China Sea issue.
A number of disputed islands, including the Paracel Islands and the Spratly Islands, are located in the South China Sea. Beijing’s territorial claims to the Spratly Islands, known as the Nansha Islands in China, which are believed to be rich in oil and gas reserves, run counter to those of the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam.
