-(Politico 4/5) Why Trump Was Right to Invite Duterte to the White House: The volatile leader of the Philippines may be a thug, but pushing him into China’s arms is a bad idea.

-(CNN 4/5) Is US steering clear of SCS under Trump? Since Trump took office, the sole request by US military to sail a warship close to artificial islands has been turned down by the Pentagon.

-(ASPI 4/5) Floating nuclear reactors in the SCS: A successful deployment of nuclear reactors in the South China Sea would be a game-changer.

-(Todayonline 4/5) Asean, China need reality check on South China Sea issue: When Asean ignores the reality in its statements, it weakens its own credibility.

-(The Diplomat 4/5) The Truth About Duterte’s ASEAN South China Sea Blow: At the center of all this is the role of the US, which still remains unclear as President Donald Trump’s Asia policy continues to shape up.

-(Vox 4/5) Trump promised to crack down on China in the South China Sea. He hasn’t. So far he’s been less confrontational than Obama.       

-(The New York Times 3/5) After Trump’s Phone Call to Philippines Leader, China’s President Calls Him: Mr. Xi’s outreach to Mr. Duterte appeared to be part of efforts by the Chinese to woo a longtime American ally.

-(Reuters 2/5) Trump nominee for China ambassador promises firm line on Beijing: "China cannot be allowed to use its artificial islands to coerce its neighbors or limit freedom of navigation or overflight."

-(CNN 2/5) Asian pawns lose out in power play between the US and China: ASEAN recent statement may mark a return to "old politics" - based less on the rule of law and more explicitly on the alignment of great power interests.

-(Reuters 2/5) China welcomes ASEAN summit declaration on South China Sea, saying it showed efforts to ease tension were working.

138168790(1).jpg-(The New York Times 2/5) Trump’s turn toward China curtails navy patrols in disputed zones: The decision not to challenge China’s territorial claims represents a remarkable deference toward Beijing.

-(Inquirer 1/5) Duterte weakened PH’s position on South China Sea as he did not raise the country’s “legal victory” over China during the just concluded ASEAN summit in Manila. -(PhilStar 1/5) ‘Asean making progress on South China Sea code of conduct’

-(China Daily 1/5) China imposes fishing ban, weeks earlier than previous years for some regions.