Southeast Asia's defense cuts create opening for China

ASEAN's focus on pandemic fight risks sowing discord with US

20200619N China aircraft carriers

China is planning massive military exercises as early as this summer. © Kyodo

KOYA JIBIKI and TSUKASA HADANO, Nikkei staff writers

JAKARTA/BEIJING -- Southeast Asian nations have cut their defense budgets to fund efforts to fight the coronavirus pandemic, leaving them with fewer resources to respond to China's increasingly aggressive territorial claims in the region.

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