Addressing the seventh ASEAN –US Summit in Bangkok, O’Brien said China has sought to block access to oil andgas reserves worth 2.5 trillion USD there.
He also conveyed a message fromPresident Donald Trump inviting the ASEAN leaders to join a special summit inthe US in the first quarter of 2020.
The US has continuouslycondemned China’s violations of international law in the East Sea, includingthe illegal construction and militarisation of artificial entities in the EastSea, as well as hindering legal oil and gas activities in exclusive economiczones of Vietnam and other coastal countries./.