South China Sea Set to Dominate ASEAN Talks

Posted July 9th, 2012 at 1:55 am (UTC-5)
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Southeast Asian foreign ministers have opened a five-day meeting that is expected to be dominated by a territorial dispute centering on the South China Sea.

Officials from the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) began the talks Monday in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh.

The South China Sea is home to vast fishing grounds and potential oil and gas deposits. Six nations, including China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia, all claim territory in the sea.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged ASEAN members Sunday to resolve the issue peacefully. She is set to join the talks later this week.