Plans for a ceremonial joint statement at the end of Southeast Asian regional defense forum were dropped on Wednesday after differences between China and the United States (US) over the mention of disputes in the South China Sea in the document. Officials from, Malaysia, which is hosting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) defense chiefs meeting, did not immediately comment on reasons for the cancellation. However, in a revised schedule of the day's program, the signing ceremony for the "Kuala Lumpur Joint Declaration" was dropped. Earlier, a senior US defense official said China was lobbying Southeast Asian nations to drop any reference to concerns over the South China Sea in the statement.

South China Sea disputes prompt ASEAN defense chiefs to drop plans for statement. (2015, November 5). Manila Bulletin, pp. 1, 5.