In this Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2019. Thai policemen walk behind banner welcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations at the venue of The 35th annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Nonthaburi province, Thailand. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 10:10 AM PT — Monday, November 4, 2019

The worlds top leaders are in Thailand this week for the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. President Trump opted out of attending the event and, instead, sent a U.S envoy and National Security adviser Robert O’Brien. This move was met with some push-back as this is the second year the president has skipped the event. However, he then invited ASEAN leaders to attend a special summit in the U.S. next year.
In the meantime, O’Brien has been meeting with several world leaders on the summit sidelines. He also held a news conference Monday, where he reiterated Washington’s concern over China’s alleged aggression in the South China Sea. The U.S. has claimed China is militarizing the region to bully and intimidate smaller Southeast Asian countries.
“We think those disputes ought to be handled peacefully, we don’t think they should be handled through intimidation or through maritime militias or by ramming ships or by surrounding islands,” said O’Brien. “And that’s just not how things should be done in the 21st Century.”


U.S. National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien attends the East Asia summit in Nonthaburi, Thailand, Monday, Nov. 4, 2019. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Meanwhile, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang claimed the country is willing to draft a code of conduct for the South China Sea and is ready to work with ASEAN countries to strive for new progress. Monday marked day two of the ASEAN summit and its expected to last through Tuesday.
CCTV Asia Pacific@CCTVAsiaPacific





15 RCEP Countries have concluded text-based negotiations and their market access issues; and tasked legal scrubbing to commence for signing in 2020. India has significant outstanding issues, which remain unresolved, according to Joint Leaders’ Statement on RCEP. #AseanSummit




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