Blinken urges ASEAN to take ‘immediate action’ on Myanmar

In first meeting with ASEAN, US secretary of state calls for action on Myanmar and rejects China’s claims in South China Sea.

Antony Blinken, the United States top diplomat, has expressed “deep concerns” about the military coup in Myanmar, calling on Southeast Asian nations to take action to end violence and restore democracy in the country. Blinken made the appeal during a meeting with foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Wednesday. ASEAN has been leading the main diplomatic effort on member country Myanmar since the military seized power in a coup on February 1, plunging the country into turmoil.