VIENTIANE - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr called on nations to reduce tensions in the South China Sea during a meeting between Southeast Asian leaders and Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Thursday.
"We continue to be subjected to harassment and intimidation," Marcos said during the meeting in Laos at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit, according to a readout. "Parties must be earnestly open to seriously managing the differences and to reduce tensions."
The summit comes after a string of violent encounters between Chinese ships and coastal Southeast Asian nations in disputed seas. Last week, Hanoi accused Chinese law enforcement of a "brutal" attack on one of its fishing vessels that resulted in injuries to 10 crewmen, including three that suffered broken bones.
Until the incident, such tactics have mostly been reserved for ships belonging to the Philippines, a US ally that under Marcos has become more vocal in pushing back against China's vast maritime claims. Beijing has maintained that its actions are lawful.
"Such behaviour is not unnoticed by our respective publics and the international community as well," Marcos said. "They will require a concerted and urgent effort to adopt measures to prevent their recurrence."
This year, 44th and 45th Asean Summits is an event held from Oct 6 to Oct 11 in Vientiane, Laos.