Addressing the seventh ASEAN – US Summit in Bangkok, O’Brien said China has sought to block access to oil and gas reserves worth US$2.5 trillion there.
He also conveyed a message from President Donald Trump inviting the ASEAN leaders to join a special summit in the US in the first quarter of 2020.
The US has continuously condemned China’s violations of international law in the East Sea, including the illegal construction and militarisation of artificial entities in the East Sea, as well as hindering legal oil and gas activities in exclusive economic zones of Vietnam and other coastal countries.
