China said on May 22 it was "strongly dissatisfied" after a US spy plane flew over part of the East Sea this week near where China is building artificial islands, and called on the United States to stop such action or risk causing an accident.

Trade activities between ASEAN and the Republic of Korea (RoK) will be promoted as the two sides have signed an agreement fostering their customs cooperation, announced the Korea Customs Service (KCS) on May 22.

(VOV) - The US-Chinese relationship has suffered from recent disputes in the East Sea. With China conducting activities intended to change the status of islands in the East Sea, Washington has expressed a tough attitude on the issue and defined red lines for China.

Islamic State fighters tightened their grip on the historic Syrian city of Palmyra on May 21 and overran Iraqi government defenses east of Ramadi, the provincial capital that they seized five days earlier.

Talks between the United States and Cuba will go into a second day on May 22 as the sides try to reach agreement on reopening embassies shut for more than half a century, the crucial next step in their historic detente.

The Vietnamese Foreign Ministry’s spokesman called on Indonesia to address appropriately the issue of foreign fishing ships and fishermen supposedly operating in its waters in line with international law.

ASEAN and China should ‘expeditiously’ conclude the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) to ease tension in the region, Singaporean Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen said. 

Australia and ASEAN on May 19 signed Amendment No. 6 to the Cooperation Arrangement between two sides on the ASEAN Agreement for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER)’s 2010-2015 Work Programme to extend it until the end of 2016.

Thailand’s general election planned for early 2016 will be delayed until August at the earliest, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam announced on May 19. 

The United States on May 19 indicated its willingness to change pro-democracy programs which it organizes in Cuba and which are condemned by Havana, removing one of the biggest impediments to restoring diplomatic ties.