US official accuses Russia and China of blocking Asia leaders’ statement

WASHINGTON – Russia and China blocked a proposed consensus statement for the East Asia Summit drafted by Southeast Asian countries, mainly over objections to language on the contested South China Sea, a US official told Reuters on Saturday.

A draft statement arrived at by consensus by the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations was put to the 18-nation East Asia Summit meeting in Lao People’s Democratic Republic on Thursday evening, the official said.

“ASEAN presented this final draft and said that, essentially, this was a…