China has urged countries in southeast Asia to avoid being used as “chess pieces” by Western powers, calling for insulation of the region from foreign interventions.

On the first leg of his south-east Asia tour in Indonesia, Blinken on Tuesday outlined the US approach to the highly competitive Indo-Pacific region where both Washington and Beijing are vying for influence.

Myanmar's ruling junta rejects a request for a visit between a Southeast Asian envoy and deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The US withdrawal from the JCPOA and its sanctions against Iran, in addition to Russia’s geopolitical difficulties with the West, have led these two countries to expand their cooperation within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union.

Myanmar's military rulers have agreed to an ASEAN call for a four-month ceasefire by all sides to ensure the smooth distribution of humanitarian aid.