Representatives from the US, China, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea met their Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) counterparts Thursday in Laos for an annual meeting of defense chiefs from the bloc. The meeting kicked off Wednesday in Vientiane under the chairmanship of Laos, with meetings held on the sidelines of the event.

VIENTIANE: US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin expressed regret Wednesday (Nov 20) that his Chinese counterpart chose not to hold talks with him during meetings of Southeast Asian defence chiefs in Laos,

Southeast Asian defense chiefs are meeting with China, the United States and other partner nations in Laos for security talks, which come as Beijing’s increasingly assertive stance in its claim to most of the South China Sea is leading to more confrontations.

Southeast Asian defense chiefs and representatives are meeting in the Laotian capital for security talks at a time of increasing maritime disputes with China in the Asia-Pacific and as the transition to a new U.