Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Southeast Asian leaders Friday that the US is concerned about China’s “increasingly dangerous and unlawful” activities in the disputed South China Sea during an annual summit meeting, and pledged the US will continue to uphold freedom of navigation in the vital sea trade route, AP reports.

“We are very concerned about China’s increasingly dangerous and unlawful activities in the South China Sea which have injured people, harm vessels from ASEAN nations and contradict commitments to peaceful resolutions of disputes,” said Blinken, who is filling in for President Joe Biden, in his opening speech at the US-ASEAN summit. “The United States will continue to support freedom of navigation, and freedom of overflight in the Indo Pacific."

The US remains the largest foreign investor in the region and is committed to strengthening its partnership with ASEAN, Blinken added.