MANILA ¨C Recent incidents involving Chinese ships in Southeast Asian waters are testing regional faith in Beijing¡¯s sincerity about maritime peace, and aiding a renewed U.S. push to build alliances with countries unnerved by China¡¯s assertiveness.
Chinese maneuvering in energy-rich stretches of the South China Sea, including a standoff in Vietnam¡¯s Exclusive Economic Zone, will figure on Friday when top diplomats of Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN attend a security gathering with world powers.
Among those is a United States that has laid out an ¡°Indo-Pacific Strategy¡± challenging Chinese maritime hegemony and seeking stronger ties with nations pushing back against Beijing.
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