China’s Military Build-up Overshadows ASEAN Defence Summit
China’s growing military presence and escalating South China Sea disputes dominated discussions at the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus in the Philippines….reports Asian Lite News Desk Rising tensions in the South China Sea and concerns over China’s expanding military capabilities emerged as key issues at the recent Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) and related engagements in the Philippines. Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles warned that China’s military expansion was creating a “condition of pressure” across Southeast Asia, amid a diplomatic dispute between Beijing and Manila over China’s participation in the defence summit held in Cebu, the
