S. China Sea tensions scuttle Asia defence chiefs statement: US

A meeting of Asia-Pacific defence ministers has scrapped plans for a joint declaration after the Chinese delegation lobbied to block mention of Beijing's island-building activities in the disputed South China Sea, a US defence official said Wednesday. "Our understanding is there will be no joint declaration," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The US official had said earlier that China was opposing mention in a joint statement of its construction of artificial islets capable