Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe tacitly warned Southeast Asian leaders against making too many concessions to China, engaging in a diplomatic tug of war with Beijing ahead of the East Asia Summit. "I expect ASEAN to play a leading role in creating stability and prosperity in the region by following the rule of law, " Abe said Wednesday at a meeting with leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The comment earned calls of agreement from some present. He expressed deep concern about "continued attempts to unilaterally change the status quo in the South and East China seas over the past few months."
See also: How China bought its way into Cambodia (Today, 12 September 2016)