diplomat also noted "deep concern" over the rapid growth of China's nuclear arsenal, saying it highlights how Beijing has "sharply deviated from its decades-old nuclear strategy based on minimum deterrence," according to the State Department. Ongoing U.S.-China tensions cast a shadow over the event, with Blinken calling on Beijing to "cease its provocative behavior in the South China Sea" and raising "serious concerns" about its alleged human rights abuses against the Muslim Uyghur minority in the western Xinjiang region as well as in Hong Kong and Tibet. Brunei is serving as ASEAN's chair this year. The meeting of the 27-member ARF, which also includes countries such as China and South Korea, was held as part of this week's series of virtual gatherings related to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. (Photo courtesy of Japanese Foreign Ministry) (Kyodo) 6, 2021, shows an online ministerial conference of the ASEAN Regional Forum.
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