Leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), at the end of a three-day meeting in Sydney, also tackled the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar and agreed to work more closely to tackle the growing menace of violent extremism and radicalization. Australia, which hosted the meeting despite not being a member of the 10-nation Southeast Asian bloc, is seeking to tighten political and trade ties in the region amid China's rising influence. In a joint communiqué issued at the end of the summit, Asean and Australia called for "self-restraint" in the South China Sea, where aggressive Chinese expansion has irked Asean members.

Dizon, N. (2018 March 19). ASEAN urges restraint in South China Sea. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A19.