NUSA DUA, Indonesia (Reuters) – Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said on Friday that “outside forces” had no excuse to get involved in a complex dispute over the South China Sea, offering a veiled warning to the United States and others not to stick their noses into the sensitive issue.

But Wen also struck a softer line during a summit with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, offering $10 billion in loans and saying China only wanted to be friends.

NUSA DUA, Indonesia (Reuters) – Southeast Asian nations endorsed Myanmar Thursday for the chairmanship of a key regional grouping, gambling that the isolated country can stick to reforms begun this year that could lead it out of half a century of isolation.

But U.S. President Barack Obama cautioned that Myanmar, also known as Burma, must still demonstrate improvements in human rights in his first remarks since the authoritarian regime freed hundreds of political prisoners in October and vowed more reforms in the weeks ahead.

NUSA DUA, Indonesia (Reuters) – Southeast Asian nations are set to endorse Myanmar Thursday for the chairmanship of a key regional grouping, gambling that the isolated country can stick to reforms begun this year that could lead it out of half a century of isolation.

But President Barack Obama cautioned that Myanmar, also known as Burma, must still demonstrate improvements in human rights in his first remarks since the authoritarian regime freed hundreds of political prisoners in October and vowed more reforms in the weeks ahead.

NUSA DUA, Indonesia (Reuters) – Tokyo sees growing investment opportunities in Myanmar as the reclusive state embarks on political and economic reforms, citing its strategic location between India, China and Southeast Asia, a senior Japanese official said on Wednesday.

But any investments must be gradual with Japan not ready to resume full-fledged trade and aid, said Kimihiro Ishikane, deputy director-general of Japan’s Foreign Ministry’s Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau.

NUSA DUA, Indonesia (Reuters) – Brazil does not want to see the “BRICS” group of emerging countries enlarged for the time being, but does want the developing world to be given a greater say in international bodies, the country’s foreign minister said on Wednesday.

Antonio Patriota told Reuters in an interview that the BRICS grouping — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — was fine as it was, brushing off a suggestion Indonesia may be admitted to the club.

BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese authorities are setting hurdles for artist-activist Ai Weiwei to pay a bond that would let him appeal a tax fine his backers have called a political vendetta, threatening to complicate his legal battle, one of his lawyers said Monday.

Ai, whose secretive 81-day detention this year sparked worldwide attention, has until Wednesday to lodge collateral that would allow him to contest a 15 million yuan ($2.4 million) fine for tax evasion, which he denies.

BEIJING (Reuters) – Pressured at home and increasingly sensing a concerted regional effort to contain its territorial claims, China will be in no mood to make concessions on vast areas of the disputed South China Sea at two key east Asian summits in Indonesia this week.

China has the most extensive historic sovereignty claims in the potentially oil and gas rich South China Sea, including uninhabited atolls near the equatorial northern coast of Borneo.

BEIJING (Reuters) – Pressured at home and increasingly sensing a concerted regional effort to contain its territorial claims, China will be in no mood to make concessions on vast areas of the disputed South China Sea at two key east Asian summits in Indonesia this week.

China has the most extensive historic sovereignty claims in the potentially oil and gas rich South China Sea, including uninhabited atolls near the equatorial northern coast of Borneo.

BEIJING (Reuters) – China successfully carried out its first docking exercise on Thursday between two unmanned spacecraft, a key test of the rising power’s plans to secure a long-term manned foothold in space.

The Shenzhou 8 spacecraft joined the Tiangong (Heavenly Palace) 1 module about 340 km (211 miles) above Earth, in a maneuver carried live on state television in the early hours of the morning.

BEIJING (Reuters) – China welcomed on Thursday the consensus reached at the European Union’s summit to tackle the euro zone debt crisis and supported measures taken by the bloc that could help the region’s recovery.

Beijing, with its big holdings of European sovereign debt, is one of the main bystanders waiting to see if Europe can provide debt relief for Greece, which risks a default that could trigger a deeper crisis in Italy and other bigger euro zone economies.