Asia

ASEAN Talks Begin With Pandemic, S. China Sea, Rohingya on Agenda

The US aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan leaves Yokosuka base near Tokyo en route to the South China Sea on June 8, 2020. / Kyodo

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By Kyodo News 9 September 2020

The foreign ministers of ASEAN started their annual meeting on Wednesday with the coronavirus pandemic, territorial disputes in the South China Sea and Rohingya refugees high on the agenda.

ASEAN-related gatherings running through Saturday are being held via videoconference due to the pandemic, which has made international travel difficult. They were originally scheduled for early August in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, which is the regional group’s chair this year.

The pandemic will likely dominate the talks, as underlined in a draft joint communiqué that was seen by Kyodo News and is to be issued at the end of the meeting.