ASEAN defense chiefs cancel joint statement over South China Sea row

By Yeganeh Torbati and Trinna Leong KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Plans for a ceremonial joint statement at the end of a Southeast Asian regional defense forum were dropped on Wednesday after differences between China and the United States over the mention of disputes in the South China Sea in the document. Officials from Malaysia, which is hosting the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) defense chiefs meeting, did not immediately comment on reasons for the cancellation. Earlier, a senior