U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Southeast Asian leaders Friday that the U.S. is concerned about China's "increasingly dangerous and unlawful" activities in the disputed South China Sea during an annual summit meeting and pledged the U.S. will continue to uphold freedom of navigation in the vital sea trade route.

Southeast Asian leaders have stepped up pressure on China to respect international law following clashes in the disputed South China Sea.

China has been accused of harassment, intimidation and patrolling exclusive economic zones of Asean nations, leading to rising tensions in the South China Sea: India Asean relations