Southeast Asian leaders call for South China Sea disputes to be resolved without threats or force

By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he is concerned by “unsafe and destabilizing behavior” in the South China Sea such as the latest collision between Chinese and Philippine ships. He spoke on Wednesday after wrapping up a Southeast Asian leaders’ summit that called for disputes to be resolved through dialogue rather than threats. A Philippine official says Chinese and Philippine coast guard vessels collided on Tuesday near a disputed shoal, leaving four Filipino crew members injured. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations leaders on Wednesday adopted a declaration calling for the peaceful resolution of disputes in the South China Sea through legal and diplomatic processes “without resorting to the threat or use of force.”