Secretary of State John Kerry's trip in Myanmar, starting Saturday, comes after China angered Vietnam by deploying a deep-sea oil rig near islands claimed by both nations.
Top diplomat for East Asia, Daniel Russel, told reporters today that China's withdrawal of the rig in mid-July had removed an irritant but left behind anger in Vietnam and serious questions among other countries about Beijing's long-term strategy.
Russel said the US will be encouraging the half-dozen claimants in South China Sea to take voluntary steps to reduce tensions.
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