Russia's Lavrov warns about NATO coming to South China Sea

NEW YORK: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned on Saturday that NATO would soon draw a new "defence line" across the South China Sea as it seeks to expand into the Indo-Pacific, reported Sputnik.

"They announced that NATO was committed to Indo-Pacific security, meaning that NATO's next defence line will be drawn in the South China Sea. I have no doubt about it," he told reporters on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Lavrov said in August that the AUKUS military pact reached by Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States last year aimed to advance NATO interests in the region. This puts the military bloc on a collision course with China.

-- BERNAMA